The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE were called to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s headquarters yesterday morning after protesting union members barricaded themselves inside the Baillou Hill Road compound, blocking customers from entering.

More than 100 BEC workers staged a second day of protests refusing to return to their jobs until a terminated worker was reinstated.

Despite assurances from the police that the public would still be able to get into the compound, customers were turned away and told to pay their bills at Marathon Mall and the Post Office.

President of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union, Stephano Greene, told The Tribune that the union will continue to protest until the government intervenes and “puts a leash” on BEC chairman Leslie Miller.

“The membership decided to withdraw their labour in support of the woman the terminated and the union executive that was suspended and so today is just a continuation of that. We are not planning to go back to work until we have some positive resolution to these situations that are transpiring. The executive chairman of BEC Leslie Miller is out of order and he is out of hand. He is carrying on like a tyrant. He is the only chairman in the Bahamas that is lambasting staff, saying who he wants to fire and separating employees for no reason,” he said.

“The problem that we have is, if that is the government’s position, then the government needs to let us know. If that is a Leslie Miller position, then they need to put a leash on their dog and put him in line because right now he is out of line, he is out of control and the members of my union and the employees is not in support of Leslie Miller as being here as chairman.”

Mr Greene said the union has no intention of cutting the electricity supply to Bahamians, but if the power does go out, they will not be turning it back on.

He said: “The union does not support any type of sabotage, any type of electricity being turned off and so we will not do that but if the power does however turn off by what ever act, by what ever force, the union members are not prepared to turn it back on. Whatever transpires from this day forward needs to be put directly on the shoulders of Leslie Miller because of his action and his attitude. They only way the power will get turned back on if it goes off is if Leslie Miller goes in the bucket truck and repairs it himself.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Leon Bethel said police were called to BEC’s headquarters after reports of a disturbance but he said it was a peaceful demonstration.

Union leaders met with government representatives last night but they were not available for comment up to press time.