Leslie Miller
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Electricity Corporation employees will receive more than $1.2m in Christmas bonuses next week, despite a previous announcement by the organisation’s executives that no more bonuses will be paid “until the company is out of debt”.
Last December, BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller issued letters to staff informing them that the corporation had decided not to pay Christmas bonuses and would do so only when the company “finds itself in a better position”.
A few days later, Mr Miller said – after consultation with then Acting Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Minister of Labour Shane Gibson – the corporation had decided to pay the $1.4m in bonuses to staff, despite its difficult financial situation. There was one condition: the “bonus business will cease and desist from now on and the staff will only get a bonus if the corporation is profitable.”
According to Mr Miller, despite BEC being $33m in debt this year, employees will still receive between $700 and $2,000 in bonuses.
“Nothing has changed,” Mr Miller said yesterday. “It still has nothing to do with performance or accountability in BEC. They could do nothing and still get a bonus. Now middle management’s union wants in on this good deal so at the end of the day we will be paying out more than $5m in contracts and bonuses.
“It is our money and if you guys aren’t angry then I do not get it. I represent the Bahamian people and this is unfair to the Bahamian people. The problem is I say one thing, the union says another, then they go to the government and cry and the government changes their mind because they think the union vote them in. Well, the union didn’t vote me in, the people did and I will continue to do what is best for the people.”
On Wednesday, BEC officials signed a new industrial agreement with the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union in the absence of Mr Miller.
He has expressed concerns about the contract, particularly requests for lump sum payments and issues over rostering. He previously said the agreement was “not in the best interest of the people”.
When asked why he was absent from the signing he said: “I already told you I was not signing that contract.
“I told the minister and the union that I was not putting my signature on the contract because it did not benefit the people. I represent the people, that is why I did not sign the contract. They think doing it will jam me?
“No, they jamming the Bahamian people. I am glad they signed it without me, I want nothing to do with that contract. That contract is worse than the one before, the union gets more benefits, but it was not my decision.”
In the new contract, existing workers will not receive a salary increase. However, more than 1,000 union members are expected to receive a lump sum payment ranging from $1,200 to $3,200 next week in addition to Christmas bonuses.
Existing workers will not have to contribute to pension or insurance plans, however provisions were made for new employees to pay 30 per cent of their insurance costs.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
Abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet
TalkingSense 9 years, 4 months ago
A company $33M in debt is giving out bonuses. Only in the Bahamas. This is why all government corporations need to be privatized. Governments should not be running business. The employees of BEC should be ashamed because the public has to bear the burden with the outrageous cost of electricity.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
AND they just cut the power AGAIN. When the government can no longer afford to pay ANY salaries, Maynard and Pinder gonna be crying. Promoting absolute foolishness dragging around this millstone of a corporation, smt.
BoopaDoop 9 years, 4 months ago
Add 1.2 million to the debt along with the excessive overtime paid weekly.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Is this "bonus" paid as a result of company performance or individual performance? ....... or is it automatic based on end of fiscal year, seniority or department??????
Who is performing at BEC to justify a "bonus"?????
Do BTC, Bahamasair, W&SC, NIB, ZNS, BAIC, BDB etc employees get bonuses as well?????
Do civil servants and Parliamentarians get annual bonuses?????????
Who writes/signs these employee CBA laws???????
This is outrageous!!!!!!!!!!
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
Doesn't matter whether it's individual performance. This company didn't say that they're not performing "as well as expected", they said that they don't have the money to buy fuel for next week, literally, they are dead broke. How a dead broke bankrupt company pays bonuses is beyond me
God only knows the other abominations written into this new contract
realfreethinker 9 years, 4 months ago
Any employee will try to get the best deal. the problem is the employer refuse to say know,and we know it is all about not wanting to upset voters. BEC situation is screaming for privatization.But we all know the government don't have the balls to do what is necessary.
nowdaend7 9 years, 4 months ago
Beware of coveteousness. Coveteousness is IDOLATRY!
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 4 months ago
The price of a barrel of oil has declined 40% on the international markets during the year to date but we have yet to enjoy a 40% reduction in the fuel surcharge rate shown on our monthly light bills from BEC. Now we know why! Rather than reducing the fuel surcharge rate, our "efin" government is paying overly generous and undeserved Xmas bonuses to BEC's unionized employees and also making sure they continue to enjoy excessive pension benefits that BEC cannot afford to pay without support from the hard working struggling taxpayers of this country who are charged back-breaking exorbitant rates for the electricity they consume. The people need to rise up and put that fat union leader Maynard on a diet. Perry "Vomit" Christie and "Shameless" Shane Gibson are to blame for all of this foolishness and the people are not fooled by the "good cop" role that they have blithering incompetent idiot Leslie Miller playing in the affairs of BEC.
DEDDIE 9 years, 4 months ago
When a chairman can't put his signature on what his bosses is proposing then he should resigned. Division-Divided vision is when we can't see eye to eye.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Did the BEC Executive Chairman resign as yet??????????? The clock is ticking ...........
bahamalove 9 years, 4 months ago
This is absolutely outrageous!! The Bahamian people should be in an uproar! Never have I seen such foolishness. 'Shame' Gibson has the audacity to be grinning like a Cheshire Cat on ZNS news when they showed the signing of this stupid deal. And yet again Bahamian people will remain as quiet as a mouse over another scandal. Bahamians sure know how to use Vaseline because we keep taking it again and again and again! At this rate, the Politicians might as well just increase their salaries right now.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Yep ........ where is Guy Fawkes when you need him..................
ObserverOfChaos 9 years, 4 months ago
So, let me get this straight.....A business that makes money, pays bonuses'. A business that loses money has to pay bonuses too? Hmmm Business 101 apparently doesn't apply here in Bahamas.....or with government owned businesses at least....sad day...another example of stupidity of bahamas.
BoopaDoop 9 years, 4 months ago
Who controls the money being paid out of The Public Treasury? If someone decided the bonuses should be one year's salary, who would step in and say that is not feasible?
JB357 9 years, 4 months ago
B.E.C....the king of don't care service in The Bahamas. When they privatise.....dog, cat and rat eat ya lunch!!!!! When solar and other types of energy get's cheaper and more available....it OVER!!!!! Hope ya'll saving!!!
Cornel 9 years, 4 months ago
Miller is the only one who is trying to fix this whole situation. He is right. The employees are raping BEC and they do not deserve anything. Davis and Gibson and just trying to get votes for future projects. They do not care about the people. Instead of Philip "Brave" Davis it should be Philip "Woosey" Davis. Because that what he is. He is not BRAVE enough to stand up to the BEC Union
Bahamasnews 9 years, 4 months ago
How about everyone and I mean everyone turning off their electricity at the same time for 1 hour. No hardship to us as it happens regularly but only to suit BEC. Let's have a nationwide turn off to show BEC what it's like. No revenue, no need to run generation. About time BEC realise they cost our businesses money by cutting supply so what if we don't want their supply for an hour? Time to realise they are a service industry not dictators or controllers.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
You're right, about 3-4 hours yesterday...1 hour should be a breeze, added bonus I can take my appliances down and bring them back up safely. I'm in.
Baha10 9 years, 4 months ago
WHAT ON EARTH DESERVES A BONUS? The HIGHEST rates in the Caribbean, coupled with absolutely without question the WORST service, yes top of both categories, but deserving of FIRING, not bonuses!
croberts6969 9 years, 4 months ago
All you'll need to shut the frig up. You vote for stupid ignoramus uneducated getto mutts than live with it. You bitch and complain then vote the same old rank and file in power. I am sick and tired of it. Just shut up and live in your slums have numerous children you can't support or can't control and let these uneducated idiots run your country to the ground. You all deserve to live in poverty, like dogs, raise dogs and then look to dogs to help you out. Just go about your day licking your balls and smelling your neighbors assess.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 4 months ago
Uhmmm I didn't vote for any of these ignoramuses, I don't have any children, I live relatively comfortably and I don't have any dogs. Oh and I don't have balls so, no can't lick them. but on the bright side I do have neighbours so all is not lost!:)
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
And you continue to do the 69 ......................... bro, its freedom of speech
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