By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE,Guardian Senior Reporter,kdl@nasguard.com

Less than a week into the new year and Labor Minister Dion Foulkes is being put on notice that a mass demonstration is being planned that is threatening to encompass the church, civic organizations and the entire labor movement.

The possible action stems from Sandals Royal Bahamian's decision to lay off 150 workers last year. That number included eight executives of the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) and three pregnant workers.

BHMAWU's legal representative, Obie Ferguson, said a demonstration may be the only action left to take in a bid to have the workers re-instated. He said the union has yet to receive answers from the minister and is willing to raise the stakes.

"We may have to do a little demonstration and I want to put them on notice because if the minister don't want to do it we are going to publicize what he is doing, and we are going to do it in numbers. We are going to ask the church in this country to go with us because we can't sit down and just waste time," Ferguson said yesterday at a press conference held at the House of Labour, Wulff Road.

"We are calling on all workers in The Bahamas. Those workers on Paradise Island, those on the (Cable Beach) strip, those Over-the-Hill - whether you are in a union or not. We are going to ask you to come out and support us in solidarity because what happened to one can happen to all."

The Sandals workers were laid off 12 days before Christmas. And Ferguson believes they were "cherry-picked" because of their union affiliation.

Bahamas Christian Council president Rev Patrick Paul yesterday threw his support behind the union.

"We will fully subscribe and support the union; however, what we would prefer is for the union to meet with us so that we can have a full understanding of what took place so we can support with knowledge and not just out of emotion," Rev Paul said.

But days following the union executives' dismissal, Foulkes warned that the government would not be a part of any "union busting tactics" used by any employer in The Bahamas.

"One of the fundamental principles in industrial relations is at all times to protect the leadership of the unions and to ensure that employers do not take advantage, in terms of termination, weakening any union in the country. It is a matter that is very serious, and it is a matter that I am dealing with today," Foulkes said.

The minister stressed that he was in consultation with Sandals General Manager Don Cook and Bahamas Employers Association president J. Barrie Farrington to resolve the matter.

Foulkes noted that laws protect executives of all unions in the country.

Ferguson said that to date the workers have yet to return to their jobs.

Sandals Group International PR Manager Stephen Hector told The Nassau Guardian yesterday that the two pregnant workers affected by the layoffs have since been offered to return to work.

"They were offered their jobs back soon after it came to light that they were in an advance stage of pregnancy. Management here wasn't aware of that. Obviously if they had been, consideration would have been made," said Hector.

He said one of the two women returned during the second week of December, and the resort is awaiting a decision from the other.

In the meantime, Ferguson said steps are being taken to organize the demonstration - one he hopes will involve the church and other labor bodies regardless of their affiliation.

The Guardian made attempts to speak with National Congress of Trade Union president John Pinder, to determine whether he would support the move, but calls were not returned up to press time.

"We are going to organize a solid march and we are going to take a position. If the minister doesn't do what he is suppose to do, we will do what we have to do. If you don't fight and carry on and break up things, nobody will listen to you. If you sit down and write them a sensible letter asking for a meeting they say 'no' I can't meet with you; and sometimes they would not even respond," Ferguson claimed.

Minister Foulkes said he was still in negotiations with the resort regarding the eight union executives.

Asked whether he was optimistic that the union executives would be re-instated, Foulkes said: "I am just waiting for their final response. I don't want to express a view either way."

The 150 layoffs came as the workers were awaiting the outcome of an appeal on whether they would be allowed to hold a poll to decide if the BHMAWU would bargain on their behalf or if they would be made to fall under the umbrella of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union.