By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Nurses Union (BNU) is set to hold a strike vote on June 9 over an outstanding industrial agreement and a 40 percent scale increase. 

Amancha Williams, BNU president, says she is “taking a stand” and is pressuring the government to sign off on their industrial agreement which has been outstanding for three years.

“There is no way that the union should be operating without a current industrial agreement,” she said.

“We don’t have a future to look to if we don’t have a signed industrial agreement.” 

The union wants the infrastructure in the public health system to be upgraded, Ms Williams noted that air-conditioning is out of service in several locations as well as there being other health and safety hazards in addition to mould in buildings. 

 She added: “Nurses have been diagnosed with mould in their lungs and now have to pay out of their pockets. We have the worst insurance going.” 

 She alleges that the reason why nurses aren’t covered is because the institution they worked for is causing the hazard. 

 The collapse in health and safety infrastructure is not just in New Providence, but in the Family Islands as well, she said.

 “We have no water in Abaco. The toilets can’t flush in some of the various wards. The nurses come to work and they have to be toting water,” she said.  

 The Public Hospital Authority has been meeting with the BNU, but no one from the Public Service has. “Why hasn’t the public service come to the table yet? We’re asking the chief consultant, Bernard Evans, why haven’t you come to the table yet? The PHA is here, but the Department of Public Service is not there representing the Ministry of Health.” 

 Addressing the BNU’s most recent increment given to them by the current government, Ms Williams said it is not enough to satisfy the BNU and they are looking for a “scaled increase” because the industrial agreement speaks to increases. 

 She said: “That is what we want our Prime Minister to give us, come and sign that industrial agreement, where we have two increases to our scale, then rather than a lump sum. We don’t want anymore lump sum. We cannot take a lump sum to the bank. We cannot get a loan for a mortgage with a $50 increment. We want our scale to be increased by 40 percent.” 

 Cassandra Cartwright-Lewis, president of the Public Managers Union (PMU), also at yesterday’s press conference, added that her union also has outstanding issues in their industrial agreement and already held a successful strike vote in April, added that they stand with the BNU and wider Trade Union Congress (TUC).

 “The two items of concern is Article 48 and Article 55 that speaks to increments and bonuses,” she said. “The board is wishing to tie us to contributions to which we have no control over. 

 “We would have signed on from the previous PMU administration. That process was not successful and hence we are now asking them to remove it from the industrial agreement.” 

 The PMU does not want to sign on to an agreement that they have no control over how their bonuses and increments could be determined and want those provisions removed and then have a sit down with the government afterwards on what programme would be feasible for everyone.