‘Full Dock Services’ Resumed This Morning
[Updated] “Full dock services” have resumed as of 9:30am this morning [Oct 24], Polaris has confirmed.
Warren Jones, CEO Polaris Holding Company Ltd, told Bernews, “Full dock services have resumed as of 9:30am this morning. The Oleander ship is being discharged and truckers are receiving deliveries.”
Stevedoring Services previously confirmed they “received notice of industrial action from the Port Workers’ Division of the Bermuda Industrial Union on Thursday, October 19.”
Update 11.04am: The Government has confirmed that both the BIU and Stevedoring Services have agreed to voluntary arbitration, and the workers have returned to work.
A statement from the Government said, “Last night The Minister of Home Affairs the Hon. Walton Brown JP MP contacted the President of the Bermuda Industrial Union [BIU] Chris Furbert and Chief Executive Officer of Stevedoring Services Mr. Warren Jones with the intention of brokering an agreement between the two parties to bring the dock strike to an end.
“Consequently, both the BIU and Stevedoring Services have agreed to voluntary arbitration. In the meantime, the workers have returned to work. Dock workers were informed this morning of the agreed approach taken by the union and management.
“Stevedoring Services agreed to withdraw the Supreme Court Action, due to take place this morning, if the workers returned to work this morning.”
Minister Brown said, “One of my main objectives as the Minister responsible for labour is that we have good labour relations in this country; meaning that when issues or disputes arise, we can resolve them amicably prior to the unfolding of more dramatic action.
“I am very grateful that both parties were open to having these discussions with me and I want to thank the two of them for helping to further the mutual trust between us, which is key in getting us beyond these kinds of divides.”
Thank god for that….notice no one comments for positive stuff lol
Someone was sacked and instead of following procedure and filing a complaint with the LRO the docks were shut down and full containers sent back to New with the cost of that ultimately ending up with consumers. From struggling single mothers to the CEO’s of exempt companies, we all will eat the cost of this little hissy fit.
This is not a positive story, this is those lot doing exactly what they should be doing. If we have to congratulate the stevedores for turning up and putting in a day’s work then it’s time to sack the lot of them and start fresh.
The POSITIVE is that they have returned to work…
And now it comes to light that the fired worker was not unionized. Clearly an illegal strike from every angle. The union should be held accountable for costs incurred.
What’s positive about another illegal strike that held the island hostage? Regardless of who was right I guarantee you that there is an avenue for this specific situation in their CBA and, yet again, it’s not what took place.
Exactly. Why should employers follow the agreed upon CBA when certain Unions seem to have no issue in disregarding what they signed up for?
Yay!
Would’ve been proper if Bermuda knew what the whole dispute was about.
this is good news I am glad that both sides could reach a settlement
Thanks PLP for getting the docks back open.
Wtf did the PLP do? Nothing.
LMFAO the PLP haven’t done ANYTHING in their 100 days bra
Yes they have.. traveled to the US, Brussels, and the UK. Im guessing the UAE and India are next!!! Can you say AIR MILES !!!!
You missed Paris. The Space convention.
lol
Yea…right.
Didn’t Burch visit the docks (I remember an article) and then very soon after there was a strike……hmmmmmmm
NOTHING at all to do with the visit by the Col.
How quickly we forget the last time the PLP was the government the BIU was quick to use industrial action as the first line of negotiation instead of the CBA, grievance procedures or the laws of the land. I see the mentality has not changed regardless of new management or the state of the country. I guess when you feel like you contributed to success of an election you can act any way you see fit.
God bless the BIU as my brothers and sisters but strong handed tactics at the drop of the hat will not endear you to the general audience or solve the state of affairs we are all in. Let’s try a different approach and hold members accountable for their short comings in performance and work with the employers to understand the economy isn’t everything we would like it to be. There has to be a middle ground or we all fail.
Done more in 100 days you have got to be kidding who the f— closed it down in the first place instead of following the AGREED procedure Are you for real?
“Done more in 100 Days than 5yrs of OBA says:
October 24, 2017
Thanks PLP for getting the docks back open.”
LMFAO, the only thing they ‘done’ in 100 days is this….but since the strike started under the PLP watch, they’re responsible for that as well.
Typical plp supporter
Sure they have –
- they spent the first 30 days trying to dig up anything they could shame the OBA/BTA/gaming commission on
Then they’ve been very busy
- cancelling bus routes
- destroying the supremacy of the human rights act
- spending all sorts of money on mini-buses
- trying to re-ban same sex marriage
- asking corporations to ‘adopt a building’ (the same corporations that are full of expats that would love to permanent members of the society here and give back but have been told in no uncertain terms by the government that they are not wanted).
The minister notes “when issues or disputes arise, we can resolve them amicably prior to the unfolding of more dramatic action”. So, you failed big this time, as withdrawing all labor, inconveniencing the public and returning shiploads of goods with most of their cargo aboard seems dramatic to me.
Workers who did not work should not get paid or be given overtime for clearing containers. Unless we make consequences as real as the right to illegally strike, there will be no change in behaviors.
BS they were forced back to work by the court order. It was an illegal strike and walton knew it and is trying to make himself look good. It does however help that the BIU is just a militant wing of the PLP so we should have less ridiculous behaviour but it wont stop them completely.
There was no Court Order in place…..
Well done Minister Brown!
we are so happy you bowed down to chris and co
What happened? Somebody in management was disrespectful? Didn’t say “Good Morning” or something equally nasty & worthy of shutting the docks down?
Back to the old days.
What you idiots who troll have lost sight of is this was avoidable.
That ship should have never left our shores under the circumstances.
Same old PLP/BIU strongarming.
Keep sending money to the Carribean.
We fight at the first sign of adversity…
No finesse…
No tactics…
No wit…
No sensibility….
Shooting a six gun from the hip went out with the old West.
Ummm…Meh, I hope you know the bus cancellations are NOT a PLP doing but rather your sad affairs OBA!
These buses are failing because of “someone” not doing the right thing to get the equipment and parts that are needed.
” I hope you know the bus cancellations are NOT a PLP doing but rather your sad affairs OBA!”
You high? The OBA isn’t the government anymore…you realise that don’t you?
This is on the plp, it’s their failure.
Umm. These buses where like this under the PLP first reign
And because they spent more money than the country had buses got worse.
And let’s not forget there are mechanics getting paid for what. Nd what about the drivers who hv no bus to drive but getting paid
Let’s lay blame where blame belongs Nd that’s your beloved PLP
If the 12 seat oba/UBP team had not spent all the money on a sail boat race we wouldn’t be in this jammmmmm. What’s the parties next move I hear the chairs of 12 are even less NOW!!!!
Pathetic. So sad the status quo will continue the next time notice of strike is appropriate, but work stops instead. These children should be treated as such.