By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL
Freeport News Reporter
Following a massive de-monstration in New Provi-dence yesterday, executives of the Bahamas Communica-tions and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) and the Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) moved its protest to Grand Bahama yesterday, leading employees of the Bahamas Telecommunica-tions Company (BTC) on a motorcade which blocked the flow of traffic in the island's main tourist area: Port Lucaya.
After gathering at the front of the Government Complex, the home of BTC's offices, from shortly before 10 a.m., the union members – including some 60 in management positions – then departed in more than 50 marked company vehicles on a motorcade along East Sunrise High-way, escorted by police.
Upon their arrival at Port Lucaya, they then stopped the vehicles in front of the entrance to the Isle of Capri Casino and the adjacent parking lot.
BCPOU President Robert Farquharson was asked by police officers to move the procession along, but the vehicles remained for more than a half hour before proceeding back to the Govern-ment Complex.
The protest centred mainly around the issue of the union's claim that its representatives are being excluded from discussions concerning the privatization of BTC. Both unions collectively represent some 1,400 employees at BTC.
Farquharson said he and BCPMU president Claude Hanna were in fact appointed to a committee for this purpose in March but have not been informed on the matter since.
"To-date that committee has not been fully completed, has not been fully named, the terms of reference have not been given, and we have no information as to the privatization but we hear the Prime Minister, we hear Minister (Zhivargo) Laing and we hear (Julian) Francis speaking about "we are almost at the completion of privatization," he said.
"Something has to be wrong because prominent government officials are making public statements about completing the process and up to this date the BCPOU has no knowledge about what's happening with the privatization. That is fundamentally wrong."
Farquharson said the action taken by the union was only an attempt to fight for the rights of its members.
"Sometimes civil disobedience is the only way to resolve issues," he said, adding that he has received support from other trade unions who say they are prepared to "join in this fight."
"So very, very soon the entire trade union movement in this country will come together and will march with the BCPOU," he said.
Once back at the Govern-ment Complex at 12 noon, Farquharson and Hanna addressed employees in the building's lobby, thanking them for their support.
"We've got to bring the government to the point where they will sit down... and discuss privatization and we could only do it if we keep the pressure on them. We might inconvenience the public a little bit, but the public will understand, they've been through this before," Hanna said.
Describing the failure of government to place representatives on the privatization committee as a "mistake," Hanna said employees are simply requesting that they be allowed to have a voice on the committee since they will be impacted.
Securing its members' jobs and the conditions of their employment was the unions' priorities in the matter, he said.
"Whoever the new owner may be, we think that the conditions of employment ought to be protected," he said.
Noting that yesterday's action was only the first in a series of activities the union has planned for Grand Bahama, Hanna said when union executives return to New Providence later that afternoon, they expect to "get a call."
"If we don't get that call, you all keep your walking shoes in your car... Be ready when you get the call," he told the employees.
Hanna said enough was said to the public by BTC Executive Chairman Julian Francis for employees to be concerned about their jobs.
He then issued the same instructions that he said have been given to New Provi-dence employees – that if consultants request that they perform any task related to privatization, they should not comply.
"The only way Hubert Ingraham can privatize by the end of the year is if you do the work for him, and he wants you to do the work but he don't want to give you a voice on the (privatization) committee," he said.
Farquharson told employees that the action was not political in any way and that they should be mindful of what is really at stake.
"Somebody sitting round a table right now discussing if some of us in this room are going to have a job next year. That's what this is about," he said.
"I don't know how much of you all have mortgage to pay, or car payment to make or school fees to pay, but that's what this is about."
Pointing out that Francis had also been heard on public airwaves speaking about "headcount adjustments at BTC," the union leader said every employee should be concerned.
Promising further action if their requests are not met, he said every island in The Bahamas has been invited to participate and are now "fully involved."
"Remember this is only stage one, stage two comes tomorrow and the following day and the following day and so on and so on," he said.
