Are BTC employees in a losing battle with the government
thenassauguardian editorial
Employees of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) went on the offensive on Tuesday, as a sign of their disagreement with government’s move to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cable & Wireless in relation to the sale of a 51 percent stake in BTC. The protest action on Tuesday, in which BTC employees paraded around the company’s head office on JFK Drive, brought flashbacks of what happened when ZNS workers tried to fight government’s downsizing of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas.
Also familiar is BCPOU President Bernard Evans, who was unsuccessful in his fight for ZNS employees against the government. It seems strange that after losing that battle not so long ago, union members are still confident that Evans can get them the kind of results they seek.
Evans is the same and his fight is against the same foe to which he lost, the Government of The Bahamas. We saw how the ZNS fiasco turned out. Will this BTC fight be any different?
It should be noted though, that a significant difference in this fight is that President of the Bahamas Christian Council Rev. Patrick Paul, and newly-elected President of the National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, have jumped on board with BTC from the get go.
This battle could turn out to be a much bigger fight for the government than ZNS was.
When it comes to BTC who knows what to expect? Reports suggest that Tuesday’s action was just the beginning of what could end up being a massive national strike involving various unions. Yesterday the BTC employees were at it again, this time with a motorcade through the streets of New Providence, and a mass rally at the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union Hall, at which representatives of various unions were on hand to give their support.
The prime minister stared down Bernard Evans, called his bluff and won a battle without even unholstering his gun during the ZNS fiasco. With Evans at the helm of the battle with BTC, Prime Minister Ingraham may be looking for history to repeat itself.
12/9/2010
thenassauguardian editorial
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
