Industrial Action At Government Quarry Resolved

June 18, 2013

[Updated - The situation has been resolved. The employee will receive a one day suspension and the remaining employees that took part in the walk out will be paid for 2 ½ days out of the 4 days away from work.]

Works & Engineering staff were seen making their way to the BIU headquarters this morning [June 18] to attend a meeting which had been called by the Union for 8am today. The agenda of the meeting was listed as “Matters of Importance.”

w&e at biu june 18 2013

Last week approximately 75% of the workforce at the Government Quarry downed tools in support of a colleague who was suspended for the unauthorized use of a Government vehicle. Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy has since referred the dispute to the Labour Disputes Tribunal.

Update 1.42pm: Unofficial reports indicate there is another meeting scheduled for this afternoon.

Update 6.56pm: The Ministry of Public Works advised that the outstanding matter relating to the workers at the Government Quarry has been resolved. Effective Wednesday morning [June 19] all employees will return to their respective workplaces.

In what was termed a “very long and productive meeting” between the Minister of Public Works Trevor Moniz and the BIU President Chris Furbert, along with their respective representatives, it was agreed that the employee will receive a one day suspension and that the remaining employees that took part in the sympathy walk out will be paid for 2 ½ days out of the 4 days away from work.

“This common ground was reached after it was agreed that errors were made by both teams – which the Ministry and the BIU committed to resolve moving forward,” a spokesperson said.

The Minister stated, “It was a good day for Industrial relations as the Union and Employer agreed to continue promoting and maintaining harmonious working relations in order to protect and advance the general welfare of the employees as well as ensure Management has a right to manage”.

Mr. Furbert echoed these remarks and stated that his membership will be returning to duty in the morning.

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Comments (41)

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  1. Nuffin but da Truth says:

    waste of time!
    Fire the lot of them.
    Plenty of people willing to work on this island that dont want the biu.

    • It's ok says:

      Fire ur mother. The next time u take a paid vacation- thank the union. Next time ur out sick for any amount of time and ur employer pays you- thank the union.

      • Chickle says:

        I don’t believe most people have a problem with unions but rather the way Chris and others run it and call strikes with no though for anyone else including the school kids and seniors that get stranded with no way to get home when he calls a bus strike or meeting at the drop of a hat.

        • Time Shall Tell says:

          agree, if the whole strike process was a little more considerate to others so that they don’t end up stranded then they would get more support. If you call a strike, publicly announce it the day before, complete the remainder of the day so everyone can get home.

        • jon says:

          that’s the point of a strike, to cause disruption. What leverage would they have if they downed tools and nothing stopped.

      • d.o. says:

        Never. In times past I would have agreed to a small extent, now the union just abuses the system and gets away with it. When I worked i gave 8 hrs for 8 hrs pay. Sick was on deaths door, not like the tissue paper dolls of today that have a headache a week in advance of getting sick, usually it also involves a public holiday for the extra time off.

    • Johnny says:

      Muffin but the truth, did you even read the article? I doubt it! Trevor Moniz admits there were errors were made by both teams, which the ministry and the BIU hope to resolve moving forward.

  2. B.S. says:

    Good to see they have time for yet another meeting, yet didn’t have time to pick up trash on Friday. These bums should be fired and made to re-apply to their jobs… maybe they’ll get their jobs back (maybe someone who really wants the jobs will?) and maybe they’ll get the message!

    Thanks for letting our trash rot and stink on our streets for a long weekend!

  3. scary says:

    What about the trash collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Point startin to smell!!!!

  4. justdiy says:

    Works n engineering is a joke any ways replace them with people that actually want to work

    • Chickle says:

      The trash guys actually work, and work hard. However, it infuriates me when I drive my construction truck past these W&E construction road sites and see 2,3, 4 or more guys standing around. No management, no incentive to work, no punishment, no accountability! It is a joke. Anything they (W&E) touch must cost the tax payer 4-5 times more than the same job by if done by a private contractor.

  5. Sir George Somers says:

    So the person who knicked the car, loses 1 day pay, and those who went on strike on his behalf lose a day and a halfs pay! Bwahahahahahahahaha

    • Time Shall Tell says:

      A good ploy to convince the workers not to want to do another wild cat strike again & make them 2nd guess supporting a co-worker when they may face a stiffer penalty then the actual co-worker.

      I support standing by your co-worker if you truly feel that co-worker is a victim of an injustice but there are protocols in place for doing this correctly.

      • gmsgms says:

        Seemingly, the protocols (not to mention terms of collective bargaining agreements and the tenets of the labor legislation) are only there for employers to follow. Unions and workers obviously have free rein to do as they please. If you follow events in Bda, that’s the only conclusion you can come to.

        • Time Shall Tell says:

          The reason the strikers where punished was because the protocol for the workers to follow wasn’t adhered to.

          • Family Man says:

            They were punished? They got four days holiday and got paid for 2.5 of those days. That’s like taking time off and getting better than half-pay. That’s not punishment. That’s an incentive to do it again.

            • Raymond Ray says:

              That’s just what it is, “an incentive to do it again” How’s it that the sympathy co-worker get paid for doing NOTHING at all?
              Privatize the garbage collectors and offer to hire them that do presently work for the Govt. an opportunity to keep their jobs. If not, then hire others.

              • Time Shall Tell says:

                They still lost 1.5 days of pay out of the deal, you think this issue would of been resolved if they government would of tried heckling for more punishment. You then would still be waiting for your trash to be cleaned up so the compromise on governments part was necessitated for the prompt resolution to the problem.

      • jon says:

        that is true, my issue with BIU is they stand behind employees who clearly are IN THE WRONG. They dont ask for mercy on the behalf of the employee but rather demand it and use strikes to force the hand.

  6. Dark Horse says:

    Looks like Chris and Lavern got a cut a##. The first of many.

  7. micro says:

    So now that they had today off, their coming pick up my trash tomorrow right?

    I guess that means I can skip out a little on my taxes since they missed two days of trash collection and still got paid…

  8. Disgusted says:

    Once again wrong doing gets rewarded! Why is it okay for a Union worker take a government vehicle for personal use? In the private sector that would have been grounds for dismissal!

  9. Raymond Ray says:

    That is B***SHHH**IIITTTT! One day suspension while the others get off work duties for 4 days with pay for 2 1/2 days.

  10. Scaoalsy says:

    And I thought that this NEW Government had BACKBONE :(

  11. Car Battery says:

    Guess BIU/PLP is still in charge.

  12. Just a thought says:

    My trash still sitting…..this is day 6…….stinking and spoiling our lovely island….tourists must be impressed. That will put them off coming and we can afford to lose their $$$$$?

    • Joonya says:

      Chris Furbert and idiots dont give a s*** about your trash, Bermuda, or any WORKAHS.. Bunch of losers that move us 1 step forward and 2 steps backward..

  13. Better things to do! says:

    Chris Furbert and his Minions……Fire the whole bunch of them. Every time that man calls a strike they come running. This union is a waste of time. Don’t we have Human Rights laws and employment tribunals in Bermuda. Matters of this should go through other channels than shutting down Bermuda workforce.

  14. Gabbs says:

    Don’t you worry, They ain’t lost No money!!! They will make that back in overtime and plus… You will see them working late into the night picking up trash…..then They will be working on the weekend at double time!!! SMH

  15. jon says:

    Trust me unions are needed, they the only reason most have jobs that dont all go to foreigners, but I dont stand for people clearly in the wrong.

  16. Donna says:

    If your trash stinks why don’t you all just take it to the dump yourselves? maybe because you are all too lazy and spoiled, don’t get me wrong I hate how the government employees do as they please but I’m used to it and you all should be as well. The only job you can’t get fired from is Government. I see W&E working on a private house it’s there boss’s house so what they going to say NO!!!! Don’t make me laugh

    • Sir George Somers says:

      Maybe it’s because we pay our taxes for them to collect the trash! So we don’t have to drive down and drop it off ourselves!

      • Donna says:

        Where do we pay taxes for trash pick up? I don’t recall paying any. All I am saying is people get so upset with what the Gov’t employees get away with and it should not be a surprise I’m not letting my trash sit outside my house for a week and a half because it’s their job to pick it up, I’ll take it myself or put it somewhere else until they feel like picking it up.

        • Sir George Somers says:

          Land and property tax!!

        • JD says:

          Thanks a joke right – Where do we pay taxes for trash pick up?

          Must be free computer day at MAWI

    • Joonya says:

      Or maybe we are all just too stupid like you Donna.
      The major problem about Bermuda’s workforce is that people are not accountable, and attitudes like yours encourage it rather than putting up a stink and holding people accountable for their employment responsibilities. Then you go running Human Rights when your a$$ gets fired for being lazy and trying to scam the system, or when an expat replaces your tail..
      That ignorance really pisses me off! Pathetic.

  17. Bermudican says:

    Why isnt this under, Crime?
    sems out of place is what i think.