Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Nicole Martin defended the executive body’s decision to appeal the recent ruling by the chief justice that ordered the union hold its elections by the end of the month and said those elections will take place as scheduled.

Ms. Martin has come under heavy criticism from her opponents after initially stating that she would not contest Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett’s January 18 ruling and then on Tuesday it was revealed that she and the other executive council members had filed a notice of appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Sir Michael ruled that the executive council’s term in office expired in May 2012 and he order that the union hold its tri-annual general meeting and election of officers on or before February 28.

But Ms. Martin said it’s the chief justice’s decision to award cost against the union, which led to the appeal.

“If we do not appeal this decision it will cost the union money in a way that the union shouldn’t have to pay simply because the union is not party to this action,” she said.

“It is not an order to stay…it is not an attempt to slow down the process of the election but in the best interest of the hotel union this has to happen.”

The incumbent president said that the wheels are already in motion for the upcoming election and she announced Wednesday that ballots for the election are already being printed.

Ms. Martin, flanked by the other members of the executive council at the union’s headquarters at Workers House, dismissed assertions from her opponents that the appeal was a ploy to delay the election.

“Unless there is an order to stop which we have not asked for, we will be going ahead with the elections,” Ms. Martin said.

“We don’t know what date will be given in the Court of Appeal and whatever happens as far as the [scheduling] of the case, we are not going to stop the elections unless we are ordered to stop them.”

Ms. Martin and the other executive members of the A-Team are being challenged by Dave Beckford and Team Destiny and Tyrone Knowles and Team Revolution.

The union elections are scheduled to take place on February 26.