Industrial Relations and Trade Unions in The Bahamas

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, history, types, and strategies of industrial relations and trade unions, with a focus on the Bahamian context.

Trade Union

An association of people who join together in their common interest to regulate the relations between employees and employers to improve their wages and working conditions.

Salt Workers Union

The first Trade Union established in the Bahamas in 1866.

Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT)

The oldest Trade Union in the Bahamas, founded in 1947.

Sir Randol Fawkes

Known as the Father of Labour for making the greatest contribution to the development of Trade Unions in the Bahamas.

1957 General Strike

The first general strike in the Bahamas, conducted by the Taxi Cab Union.

Industrial Relations

The relationship between employers and workers or their representatives, and the degree of conflict or peace within industry.

Craft Unions

The earliest type of union consisting mainly of skilled workers, such as electricians or printers, who practice the same craft or trade.

Industrial Unions

Unions that include all workers in a particular industry regardless of their specific job; this is the most common type of trade union in the Bahamas.

General Unions

Large unions that cut across industrial boundaries and include members regardless of skill or place of work; they are considered the most uncommon in the Bahamas.

White-Collar Unions

Unions that include non-manual workers in areas such as Clerical, Professional, Management, and Supervisory Occupations.

Shop Stewards

Union representatives elected by members at their place of work who still work full time for the company while representing the workforce on the 'shop floor'.

Official Trade Union Representatives

Full-time officials working at national, regional, and district levels, often led by a General Secretary or Secretary General.

Employer’s Association

Organizations formed by employers to serve as counterparts to trade unions, negotiating matters such as wages, working conditions, and pricing.

Collective Bargaining

The process of negotiating, administering, and interpreting labour agreements between representatives of employers and trade unions.

Conciliation

A method of resolving a deadlock where a third party is appointed to help find a solution acceptable to both sides, but the party has no legal standing.

Arbitration

A legal technique for resolving disputes outside the courts where an arbiter is appointed and both sides agree to accept the verdict.

Industrial Tribunal

An independent body established in the Bahamas in April 1997 with legally binding powers to resolve workplace conflicts, such as unfair dismissal.

Official Strike

An industrial action where workers cease work with the advice, consultation, or approval and backing of the union.

Unofficial Strike

Also called a 'wildcat' strike, this occurs when workers cease work without union backing.

Work to Rule

A type of industrial action where workers follow company rules and regulations exactly, which slows down work and reduces productivity.

Go Slow

An action where workers perform their tasks thoroughly but at a slower pace than normal, causing a fall in output.

Blacking

Refusing to work with materials or people that originate from a source of which the workers disapprove.

Picketing

Groups of workers on strike standing outside a firm's entrance with placards to persuade others not to cross the line and to draw public attention.

Closed Shop (Industrial Action)

A situation where workers refuse to work with anyone who is not a member of their union.

Demarcation Dispute

A dispute over 'who does what,' typically occurring when one group of workers objects to another group doing a particular job for a lower rate of pay.

Sit-in (Boycott)

An action where workers occupy the premises and refuse to leave until demands are met, ensuring no goods enter or leave.

Union Buster

A person who goes against the wishes of the union by working during a boycott.

Lock-out

An employer strategy where the company refuses to let workers enter the plant or building to work, resulting in a loss of pay for the workers.

Union Shop

A company where non-union workers can be hired but must then join the union, usually within 30 or 60 days.

Agency Shop

A company where employees are not required to join the union but must pay a fee to cover the union's expenses in representing them.

Open Shop

A company where employees are not required to join a union or pay any dues or fees.

Pressure Groups

Organizations that seek to persuade the government or other organizations to recognize and respond to their views through demonstrations or consumer pressure.