Loretta Butler-Turner in the House of Assembly.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM deputy leader Loretta Bulter-Turner has questioned whether mass lay-offs for scores of BTC employees is imminent as the company reportedly prepares to outsource its call centres to Panama.
Yesterday, Mrs Butler-Turner suggested that changes to the deal between BTC’s parent company, Cable&Wireless Communications and the government, when two per cent of its shares were transferred in trust, incorporated the dismissal of the company’s current CEO Geoff Houston. She said Leon Williams was to replace Mr Houston in that capacity. It was announced in late March that Mr Williams was appointed as special adviser to BTC chairman Phil Bentley who is the chief executive of Cable&Wireless.
Since praising the accomplishments of the government-appointed board to negotiate the transfer back in January, the Christie administration has said little of whether any of the terms of the deal were amended.
However, when contacted, BTC’s vice-president of marketing, Marlon Johnson, said: “BTC does not comment on rumours and speculation.”
In addition, Franklyn Wilson, who headed the negotiations during the government’s take back talks denied knowing anything of the claims saying: “All that you are telling me now was never an agenda item. I am not aware of anything of which you speak.”
Representatives of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) further said they had not been informed of such plans.
But despite the denials from key areas of BTC’s operations, Mrs Butler-Turner insisted that something major and to the disadvantage of scores of employees was to come.
She said: “Is it so that Leon Williams is going to now be the CEO of BTC? If it is, doesn’t he have a very close alliance with the Progressive Liberal Party’s political machinery? Does this mean that BTC is going back to the days of blatant political inference?
“Is it true that Ericsson is going to be the company chosen for the technical aspect of BTC? If that is the case what will happen to BTC’s current technical staff? If you look at Ericsson’s business plan, you would see most of their workers are out sourced.
“What will happen to the CWC business model that is in place if we go back to this regressive system of direct political interference?”
Following Mrs Butler-Turner’s interview with The Tribune, FNM Chairman Darron Cash released a statement calling the move and the Christie administration “disgraceful”.
“This best describes the Christie Government’s actions,” he said, “The FNM understands that in exchange for one job C&W has gotten the BTC Board and PM Christie to agree to a massive programme of outsourcing that could cause the loss of several hundred Bahamian jobs.
“Support for any C&W ‘jobs-exporting-scheme’ would be an act of betrayal.
“A central part of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s legacy will be his shameless determination to go to any lengths to take care of his boys, his family members and other special friends by giving them high-paying jobs and using the weight of his office to serve their personal and financial interests,” he claimed.
Mr Cash insisted it was obvious only one person, amid a “failed” attempt to gain controlling interests in BTC, seemed to come out of the “take back negotiations” considerably better off.
“The appointment of Mr Williams, one of Prime Minister Christie’s closest friends and advisors, apparently comes at a high price,” Mr Cash suggested.
“Signing any new deal that benefits a single individual at the possible expense of hundreds cannot possibly be a good deal. This deal should be dead-on-arrival at the Cabinet table. After almost two years in office, Perry Christie has yet to demonstrate that he is capable of delivering on his general election promise of believing in Bahamians. This proposed BTC deal of employment for one with outsourcing and job losses for the many is bad for Bahamians, and the Government’s support for these proposed ‘jobs exporting schemes’ would be an act of betrayal,” Mr Cash said.
Comments
realfreethinker 10 years ago
Well Perry them say they gat control of btc what else you expect to happen 49% + 2% = 49%
realfreethinker 10 years ago
Nothing these scum bags do surprise me any more. If you ain't in the clique dog eat your lunch
Publius 10 years ago
What in the world is the FNM talking about?? Geoff Houston was CEO of CWC Lime. The CEO of "the company" is the CEO of the majority shareholder company which in this case is CWC. Why is the FNM saying foreign Cable and Wireless will make Leon Williams their CEO??? Do they not understand that Cable and Wireless LIME already has its own CEO of LIME who replaced Houston, and Cable and Wireless is not a Bahamian company?? What is with the FNM always coming up with stupid speculations? And why is the FNM speaking as though it clearly has no clue about what Cable & Wireless is doing with its overall portfolio in the region? The laziness of these guys who want to lead the country again is astounding.
TalRussell 10 years ago
Madame Deputy Leader Loretta was sitt'in around the cabinet table when Hubert started this whole bring in the foreigners to take over BTC mess. Why didn't she stop Hubert from playing with he Ouija board, which i"m told he used to communicate with dead UBP's, for advice.
John 10 years ago
Let me see if I understanding all this: 1. the same people who were running BTC will be put back in charge i.e Leo Williams and his team. 2. the 'new' company (C&W) could not fix the problems with dropped calls and dead spots, in fact they made them worse. Much worse. 3. Cable and Wireless put most of the card vendors out of business and most of the smaller stores have stopped selling BTC's products because there is no profit in doing so. 4. The company is now about to shift half of the local jobs off to Panama and other places and set hundreds more Bahamians in the unemployment line. 5. Man stores that once sold cell phones have gone out of business because of BTC's/ C&W's false and deceptive advertising, claiming that phones bought from abroad and elsewhere may not work on BTC's platform. AND then there was the price undercutting. 6. Many of the family islands have an even worse system than before where there are many dead sports and some people have to walk a distance away from their homes to get a signal.
AND FOR ALL THIS C&W gets to export millions in profits every yea. While they claim they have increased dividends to the government, this has been done at the expense of Bahamians who have lost jobs due to downsizing or outsourcing, vendors who cannot make a profit and other business that went belly up
PastorTroy 10 years ago
Vote to get these dinosaurs (FNM & PLP) out of office!!! Respectfully, we thank them (FNM & PLP) for their contributions to the Bahamas, good and bad, but it's time for them to enjoy their twilight years on an outer Island. This is a matter of National Security! Borrowing Millions to be paid back by taxpayers, VAT, high unemployment, lack of job stability, Cronyism, Creationism and indoctrination instead of education and STEM programs, Crime at all time high and the Tourism goose nervously hanging on for dear life?? We need NEW LEADERSHIP across the board! Bahamians need to start saying NO to their 'Potcake Politics'! AKA They (politicians) only know you when they need you?? like every 5 years! We've heard about "Arab Spring'? Now it our time, CARIB SPRING!!
JohnDoes 10 years ago
With all the money this woman has, why doesn't she go to the gym or invest in some type of weight loss solution.
Publius 10 years ago
I agree with this 100%. Its not about trying to belittle her because she is a female or solely because of her weight, but because she aspires to be a leader but doesn't have the personal discipline to live her best life health wise. That lack of discipline carries over into other aspects of life whether people realise that or not.
John 10 years ago
If either of you two have common knowledge, you would know that the Butler family are all larger than the average Bahamian and it has nothing to do with going to the gym.
John 10 years ago
Following your (dumb) logic, then how would explain a family who are all tall people or all short? or even a family that is all Black, or all White? Exercise common sense before you criticize
positiveinput 10 years ago
John that all most Bahamians do. Its to bad the whiles telling others about a gym, people aren't telling them of furthering their education and returning to school.
JohnDoes 10 years ago
Dumb logic? Families that are tall or short cannot make themselves shorter or taller, Persons that a prone to be obese or over weight should and can make a difference. If you want to be leader at least show the people some self respect and self discipline by at least trying to lose the weight.
JohnDoes 10 years ago
Butler families as you say, being larger than average should aspire and work to defeat the 'butler' stereotype that you present, especially if this specific butler would like to be a leader of a country. You should be ashamed.
CANDACESCOTT 10 years ago
WHAT DOES HER WEIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH IT? DOES IT DISQUALIFIES WHAT SHE IS SAYING OR WHO SHE IS? SMT, SMH
242in404 10 years ago
I fear for her life every time I see a picture of her. She seriously looks like she could "go" at any moment. Health makes wealth.
Cobalt 10 years ago
That's not nice.
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
Weight has nothing to do with her abilities. But she does need to lose it, it is very unhealthy, the bones weren't made to carry twice the body weight. Diet will be most important for her, but she has to exercise too. Clean out the fridge and the cupboard. Would probably be the hardest thing she's ever done, and I mean that literally, it's not easy to give up good tasting Bahamian food.
Publius 10 years ago
still? lol
TalRussell 10 years ago
I always wondered what side-effect PMS could cause when it dislodges the brain cells of my male chauvinist Comrades but never would have guessed the level of stupidity it causes.
birdiestrachan 10 years ago
This can not be the same Woman who sat around the table when her Papa said no Bahamians need apply to buy BTC . put all of those people Who worked at BTC out of work took bread out of the mouth of street Vender talking.. This woman has no shame. She must really believe Bahamians are real fools.
It is all about the politics she could not care less about the average Bahamian, Ms. High who wished to be mighty. But as they often say the Devil is a liar. Madam Butler.
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
The Question is:
Are BTC technical jobs about to be outsourced at the expence of a surrogate crew getting their grubby hands back on BTC????????
Yall stop attacking the messenger and do some investigation.
When you smell fart .............. SHIT is not far behind.
birdiestrachan 10 years ago
Grubby hands whose hands are you talking about? Bahamians or English Hands? you write like your Papa now. Some how in you minds Bahamians are less than others. This is far from true. BTC service was far better when the Company was ran by Bahamians. I know we are just as good as others no matter where they may come from.
Alltoomuch 10 years ago
Did anyone here live through the 80s &90s with Batelco providing our landline service? If the phone went out - which it did on many occasions - specially if we had rain... it could & often did, stay off for months! You could make as many calls as you liked for service - all to no avail. Many old folks were left in their homes with no way to communicate with their families. NO such thing as cellphones in those days. And if you had family on the islands or way overseas you almost needed a bank loan to pay your telephone bills when they arrived. Batelco was no means perfect at all!
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
Agreed. It was horrible. Rain, no phone
John 10 years ago
And what's your point? This is 2014 and my internet goes off every time it rains or when there is strong wind..foreign company still can't get it right!
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
Point: there were no "good ole days" under Bahamian ownership
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
It just hit me, this sounds like the complaining when all of the roads were dug up. Drove for the first time on the new airport road, I couldn't believe it...from east to west what a beautiful ride. It ain't finished yet...but what a beautiful ride. reengineering is always degrees harder and more painful than ripping everything out and starting over
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
What do you mean they're "not doing anything". They just upgraded their network to LTE, this means the service has the potential to be on par with first class offerings worldwide. Dropped phone calls are a problem inEVERY country, loss of cell signal are a problem in EVERY country.
I dunno about u, the people I know are very thankful for the IMPROVEMENT in the roads, are they perfect? No. It's IMPROVED thank you Hubert Ingraham.
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
Oh so landline status quo pre-sale exists...no better no worse. Thanks crazy.
I would say Hubert Ingraham loves Bahamians a tad bit kore than person who are carving out deals for a select few of their friends
positiveinput 10 years ago
No to mention the land lines that aren't even working yet still you are getting a bill for it. I had asked B.T.C. to terminate my service because it was so crappy I was not getting any, and after signing off on the request, not only I have learnt that the service was not terminated, they still billing me for something I don't get to use because they never sent a technician to fix it. Thank goodness for Cable Bahamas and their REV Voice.
Alltoomuch 10 years ago
And we're still waiting to see what happens with BEC. Have your electricity bills gone down??
John 10 years ago
Maybe its time to downsize and outsource the PLP and the FNM to a foreign political party..just a thought
Publius 10 years ago
Lol! Well, political parties are simply a reflection of the populace in many instances. No political party by itself can ever be the answer to the social and cultural deficiencies that run deeper than partisan dynamics
ThisIsOurs 10 years ago
I certainly agree with that. Said so months ago, maybe not a political party though, bring in a team of experts with experience in urban renewal (funny, this admin touts the solution but doesn't understand what it is or how to execute it, I'm sorry but Mother Pratt is a social services worker, urban renewal needs skillful ethical business people, economics is at the heart of the turnaround) crime, education, economy. Wonder if we'd be ready for the pain.... 3 more years of this crap seems like a nightmare, turning it over to more of the same in 2017 would be a horror movie.
If we had a real management team heading UR, we would know what that 1million from Albany was earmarked for cuz they'd have plans sitting in the wings waiting for funding. And it wouldn't go to band uniforms or cleaning up someone's yard or rebuilding a house. That is not urban renewal.
Sorry I'm off topic
B_I_D___ 10 years ago
I love it...PM and his negotiating team manage to do something or other with a phantom 2% 'deal'...BTC in turn laughing their backsides off stick it to the government where it hurts by downsizing it's local workforce and the government is powerless to stop them, because hey, guess what...they are still a MINORITY shareholder. HA!! Who's got the last laugh? Now...don't get me wrong here, it's bad news, BTC is the epitome of horrible service these days, I do still however think that privatizing it was a good idea and that either government is not able to use and abuse the corporation for slack employees and votes. Carry on BTC with ya bad self!! Show the government who has the bigger cajones!!
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