The Department of Civil Aviation is
compelled to once again respond to erroneous assertions made by the Bahamas Air
Traffic Controllers Union (BATCU) that the Government of The Bahamas is acting
in violation of the Employment Act, by deliberately delaying the payment of
holiday pay to members of the bargaining unit.
Again, the Department affirms that
effective December 24, 2014 it was agreed that holiday pay would be made in
lieu of the previous practice, which
said practice is in accordance with public service policy.
Prior to the December 2014 meeting, the
Union had raised concerns that the one day vacation leave to be applied to
their accumulated vacation leave for working on a public holiday was not being
applied. It was therefore agreed that CAD would review employee accumulated
vacation leave records. That exercise has now been completed by the Department.
It is now necessary for the Union to
meet with the Department to review and agree the record so that appropriate adjustments
may be made.
The Union is very aware that this
adjustment will be made shortly, and that there will be no loss suffered by any
of the controllers.
It is also important to note that the
agreement made in December 2014 was made after the passage of the Government’s
budget by the Parliament of The Bahamas which came into effect in July, 2014.
It will therefore have been clear that
the funds necessary for the holiday payments were not in the approved budget,
and would therefore have to be obtained by Contingency Funding.
It is important to note that there have already
been several payments made to the members of the Air Traffic Controllers Union
for shift premium and training allowances.
The Department therefore continues to
show good faith and act in accordance with the Industrial Agreement with the
BATCU.
The Public must be made to know that the
Union is aware that vouchers have been prepared and are being processed for
holidays worked as per the December 2014 agreement, it is therefore not clear
why the Union continues to make public statements which are contrary to the
known facts and even further would seek to threaten industrial action in these
circumstances.
The Department reiterates that threatened
disruption of air traffic services during peak travel periods is unjustified
and contrary to the good faith that is expected between parties who are in the
midst of negotiation of an industrial agreement. Needless to say such
unjustified action will inflict undue harm to the national economy.