Although he ended union representation at his Pegasus Hotel back in 2010 following a bitter fallout with the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU), Change Guyana presidential candidate and hotelier, Robert Badal says that he wants to make clear that he is not anti-union.
To this end, Badal announced that his party will next week be meeting with all of the country’s unions to have discussions, as he stressed that he supports the workers’ right and choice for unions and collective bargaining.
“We are about to invite the unions to have discussions with Change Guyana. So soon we will be discussing with [them] and allaying those fears [which they have of me],” he told Stabroek News following a press conference held on Tuesday.
“We understand the need for unions and the importance of collective bargaining in Guyana, like it is around the world. And it is the right of every employee to seek representation from those they feel will do a good job and who will represent them,” he added.
In 2010, when Badal took ownership of the Pegasus Hotel, he came under fire and heavy criticisms from unions here who felt that he used “union busting” tactics to rid representation of his employees by the CCWU.
Following a FITUG conference in July of 2010, the placard-carrying delegates of the union walked to the Hotel, entered the foyer, and shouted slogans for a few minutes before leaving.
Then General Secretary of the CCWU, Ann Anderson, had told reporters that some 52 hotel staffers were represented by the union. She added that Badal did not want the workers of the Hotel unionized.
But Badal issued a statement saying that despite CCWU being the recognized union since 1981, many employees were still earning as low as $40,000 per month. He said no investment was made by the former owners on improving the property and facilities in the last five years and there was no pension scheme.
Badal had said that the CCWU had no legitimacy as far as the Pegasus Hotel and its employees were concerned, as all its former members resigned months before he took over, in protest at the ineffectiveness of the union.
He said that consequently, staff of the hotel had requested the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board to de-recognize the CCWU as their collective bargaining agent.
On Tuesday, he maintained those positions. “They (workers) have a staff association. It is a fact it was their choice not my choice. So far, they feel that I represent them better than anybody else, and remember, we have long serving employees here. They know what they went through then and they agree with the justification of having a staff association. It works well for them,” he said yesterday.
But, he said that the matter could have been resolved since then and it is pitiable that they had not.
“Of course there was some bad feelings. After then though, the unions could have come and talk to me and we could have addressed the matter. We could have called the employees [which were fired] and given them another chance if we are inclined to,” he said.
He believes that his party and the unions will have an “excellent” relationship going forward and the issue of 2010 will be behind them.
“I know these guys. I know, Lincoln (Lewis) I know Patrick (Yarde)… we will work with the unions,” he said.
