By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
UNION leaders at BEC have “put threats on hold” to withdraw their labour after being assured by Prime Minster Perry Christie on Friday that he will “do what is right”.
According to President of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union Stephano Greene, Mr Christie assured them he would review all the information and clear up their issues with BEC Chairman Leslie Miller as soon as possible.
“We met with the Prime Minister and he all but fell short from declaring what Mr Miller is doing is wrong. He said if there is a direct violation of the industrial agreement he will put a stop to it immediately. So we gave him all the information we have and he said he will review it,” he said.
“Mr Christie told us that he will uphold the contract and as long as he is correct he will stand by us. As it related to Mr Miller’s removal he told us he will look at the facts and get back to us. He is an intelligent man and we trust the Prime Minster to do the right thing.”
“He asked us to give him some time and we will honour that because we respect him and his position.”
However, when contacted Mr Miller said he will not back down and the changes he is making is non-negotiable.
“This is a dead issue, I am finished with this, what don’t they understand? We lost $22.6 million, we cannot afford to keep doing these things. Come January 1, they will pay 25 per cent of their insurance and six per cent of their pension and the double dipping with sick pay is over. You cannot collect two salaries. If we lose this fight we might as well give them the keys to the place and tell Bahamians ‘go to hell’. I am not bending on this.”
Mr Miller also said he is unsure if the corporation will be paying Christmas bonuses. He said: ”Why should we pay $1.6 million and the company is losing money, it’s like rewarding them for bad behaviour.”
The sabre-rattling by the BEWU comes after Mr Miller issued a corporation-wide memo telling staff they will no longer be allowed to collect from National Insurance for certain benefits, such as sick benefit, while being paid by BEC.
He said beginning November 1, BEC employees will no longer be allowed to “double dip” by collecting both NIB and their full salary.
Mr Greene said the union will not let their benefits be cut, in fact he said the workers are now on “alert” and action will be taken in the near future.
Comments
Guy 10 years, 5 months ago
There has to be some clause in this industrial agreement that requires the company to solvent in order to continue to pay these outlandish benefits. How can there be an expectation (or "entitlement") of payment of these "benefits" when the company has NO MONEY!? How is it reasonable that if an employee is sick they should receive full salary AND an additional payment of sick benefit from NIB. I am of the view that a sickness benefit is to supplement or replace lost wages, and not to provide extra pay on top of regular earnings. These people have no regard for the financial position of BEC and could care less if the company goes belly up trying to pay for all these extras. These unions stop at nothing!! I do believe though that if the govt agreed to pay these outrageous benefits by signing on to this industrial agreement, Mr. Miller ought to sit with them to let them know that the company can no longer afford to pay them, rather than inform them by way of a company wide memo. That said, I support his decision but not his methods.
henny 10 years, 5 months ago
Agree with Guy. No one on sick leave collecting disability from NIB should be allowed to get a paycheck. They are supposedly disabled and not on the job. If this practice continues I can picture employees faking disability just so they can "double dip." Time to "wake up and smell the coffee"
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 5 months ago
Perry needs to just go sit in the corner and let Potcake handle this. Time for BEC to undergo some changes. Perry don't have the balls so just sit down and let Miller do his thing...
Can't lie though the union relying on Perry shows just how fool they is. This is Perry "I don't know" Gladstone Christie. He is famous for one thing only. DOING NOTHING.... LOL!!!
banker 10 years, 5 months ago
I agree about letting Potcake do his stuff (at first I thought that you were talking about the hubcap seller with the shopping cart on East Bay Street - LOL). However Potcake needs a leash. He isn't too heavy in the brains department. If he had his own way the last government go-round, he would have signed us up for PetroCaribe and sold our sovereignty to Venezuela for cheap oil and big debt. Now that Venezuela's economy has collapse and Chavez is dead and gone, thank goodness that someone did put a leash on Potcake. He was all for kicking out Esso, Shell and company and making the Venezuelans have a monopoly.
However it looks like Jamaican Front-Lover Brave is to the rescue, supporting Potcake and hopefully providing a leash.
john33xyz 10 years, 5 months ago
Leslie Miller should be PM. Then we would be able to move forward, upward, onward together. But as it has been since 1967, it has only been "forward" for the chosen few and the illegal immigrants they employ.
The choice is in the hands of the bahamian people and they deserve to get whatever they choose to get. The choice will be made soon.
Tarzan 10 years, 5 months ago
If it were not for the horrendous impact this BEC fiasco has on the entire economy and on our tens of thousands of unemployed, this would be fodder for comedians.
BEC is dead broke. Everyone including the PM and the union knows that. It is dead broke because for years and years it has been used as a political feeding trough. Now the end has been reached; there is no money to be borrowed and there is no money in the treasury; and, Mr. Miller is doing his valiant best to restore sanity. I have not read one comment from a senior administration official seriously backing up his efforts.
Now the PM is going to take him to the woodshed for telling the simple and obvious truth? There is no more money. Power rates in the Bahamas are strangling the economy and even at current extortive rates, BEC is losing millions. In that context the union is having a hissy fit because it's members cannot get more than 100% of their salaries when they call in sick? Over that the union is threatening to shut down the entire economy? You can't make this up!
When will the Bahamian people demand that the BEC be privatized so we can get this impossible situation under control? Politicians cannot be trusted to operate such a critical industry sanely. Ergo the PM is going to give Mr. Miller and not the union leaders a talking to. Please, say it ain't so!!!
JohnDoe 10 years, 5 months ago
This situation has gotten way out of hand. The issues here are complex and not at all straight forward. As a practical and anecdotal matter receiving a full salary and national insurance benefits when sick evokes a justified negative visceral reaction of unjust enrichment as well as it sends the wrong societal message of giving incentives for not working. However, as a legal matter, I assume that these benefits are contained in the industrial agreement with BEC. Therefore, notwithstanding the negative visceral reaction of unjust enrichment, if Mr. Miller unilaterally varies the terms of that agreement one would suspect that this would naturally be vehemently opposed by the union as an abridgement of a contractual right and for the precedent that it sets.
I am equally swayed by both sides of the argument, however, in the final analysis I really believe that rule of law concerns should prevail. In my view, it does not serve any civilized society well to have the government or any individual unilaterally decide that because they perceive a previously agreed clause in a binding contract is unfair they have a right to vary or dishonor that clause or contract without any legal consequence. If everyone in society began behaving under this premise contracts would be meaningless sending us back to the Wild, Wild West. We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable and it is not just a matter of management style as some has suggested. There seem to be a trend, under both the PLP and FNM, of our government or its representatives treating fellow Bahamians with the utmost of disrespect and indignity while at the same time asking average Bahamians to treat each other with respect and dignity. Pure lunacy.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
If Leslie Miler is forced to resign the PM AND Deputy PM must do so as well.
Just a few days ago, the Prime Minister ridiculed the police association and told them that as there are proper channels, they cannot expect to bring their grievances directly to him (he was right on that point)
But here is he again, for the 2nd time, in a closed door meeting with a brash, loud mouth union executive, bad mouthing his minister, behind his back, to such an extent that the union exec believes he can go to the media and tell them he has as good as an agreement to have the minister fired. What kind of LEADER is that?
Police officers are putting their lives on the line everyday for meager salaries, they were treated like crap, but these people who have apparently been receiving two salaries and living in the lap of luxury are given the red carpet treatment right to the PM's doorstep???
JohnDoe 10 years, 5 months ago
You are spot on and don't forget Brave Davis conveniently and simultaneously taking the opposite position. With this government it is all about what is relative and expedient at any particular moment. There appear to no absolute principles by which they are governed. I guess that is Bahamian politics.
banker 10 years, 5 months ago
The issue here is Christie. He was the one that said people should go through channels. His channel is Leslie Miller. Man, it would be horrible to work for a limp-wristed PM who stabs his own people in back.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 5 months ago
He walks softly..I don't know what kind of stick he carries..
John 10 years, 5 months ago
If Perry isn't gonna jump in with his sleeves rolled up and help Leslie box this out then he should not interfere. This is the closest any government has come to putting the BEC union and its greedy and overfed goons in check and if Perry stops it then the opportunity may be lost forever. Clean up all government agencies and reduce the need for VAT.
John 10 years, 5 months ago
Does Chrissy Love have a secret affection for Leslie Miller? From professional point? Just happened to listen to her show today and obviously she had looked forward to the Potcake being on her show today with great anticpation. And despite her denying it his no show caused her great disapointment. So much so that her entire show was dedicated to the non appearance of Mr. MILLER and possible reasons for his absence. Hope if the show ever happens they can trash out the issues without pulling a "Loretta"
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