NASSAU| Just hours following a strike by members of the Bahamas Educators Managerial Union (BEMU) the Supreme Court of the Bahamas at the request of the Minister of Education Hon. Chester Cooper ordered union members back to work and barred them from continuing the strike.
Justice Darron Ellis granted an interim injunction sought by the Minister of Education and the Attorney General against the Union, restraining BEMU, its officers and members from taking part in any strike or other industrial action.
The order also prohibited members from taking sick leave without a valid sick certificate as well as prohibiting the Union from inducing, inciting or intimidating ministry employees in a way that impedes them from attending work or encourages them not to report. Those Administrators were to return by 10am Wednesday morning.
Following this injunction the President Stephen McPhee sat in a four hour meeting with the Ministry of Education today to iron out any further issues and put to rest the concerns of the union.
Bahamas Press told yinner yesterday the main issue behind this wicked conundrum was the fact that McPhee wanted his wife, who is the Vice President at BTVI, to become the president of the Institute, a position already filled earlier in the year.
On Tuesday Education Minister Chester Cooper said most of the country’s 161 public schools remained open and operational despite some being left without administrators.
The move by the union hijacked the learning environment for some 40,000 young persons who showed up ready to learn on the second day following the opening of schools on Monday.
The Education Ministry went through hoops to meet the goals of getting schools ready with repairs. And today (Wednesday 2nd September) lead Government negotiators in Labour Relations, Bernard Turner and Ms Kenya Laing of the Public Service Commission, joined discussions with BEMU to resolve all outstanding matters.
