By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE “cash-strapped” Bahamas Electricity Corporation paid out nearly $5m in overtime for the first nine months of this year, according to documents obtained by The Tribune.
Five workers received more than $50,000 in overtime for the period ending in September, with one Mechanical Maintenance worker paid $14,060.15 for the month of April.
The total overtime paid from January up to September is $4,902,804.69, with an average monthly payout of $544,756.08.
The figure represents 715 employees throughout the corporation, with the highest total amount of overtime paid to another Mechanical Maintenance worker at $60,991.86.
The Tribune has chosen to withhold the location of individual workers; however, the overtime figures reflect BEC staff in New Providence and the Family Islands.
Staff that received the highest overtime pay were based in New Providence at one facility, with the exception of three workers.
Four workers received more than $40,000 in overtime pay, and two workers received more than $30,000.
The average overtime pay for each worker during this period, based on documents obtained, is $6,857.07. Overtime is paid in addition to salary.
The company has debts of $450 million and average annual salaries of about $40,000. BEC executive chairman Leslie Miller said this week the corporation expected to pay $1.3 million in Christmas bonuses this year.
Last year, it was revealed during an internal BEC audit that overtime pay exceeded the budgeted amount by $3.3 million in 2012 – a total cost of $11.8 million.
At that time, Mr Miller said the corporation would have to move to a rostering and scheduling system which would be implemented with effect from February 1, 2013.
However, the system was never implemented amid ongoing clashes with the corporation’s unions.
Details over the corporation’s overtime payments this year come as the longstanding war of words between BEC’s unions and Mr Miller re-ignited this week.
During a demonstration at BEC’s main office on Tuesday, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) president Paul Maynard announced that his members were operating on work to rule and would not work any overtime.
On a local talk show the following day, Mr Miller revealed that local companies have refused to do business with the electricity corporation because the “cash-strapped” organisation has outstanding accounts with balances in the thousands.
He also accused the BEWU of using intimidation tactics by reportedly retaining a law firm to sue him as tensions mount over his refusal to sign a negotiated industrial agreement with the union.
Mr Miller claimed that Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTC) employees were leaking personal information from cell phone users to damage his character.
However, the claims were denied by Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) president Bernard Evans and Mr Maynard. The union called off its work-to-rule yesterday.
Comments
BoopaDoop 9 years, 4 months ago
ok Are we going here again. I thought this was identified as a problem already. Someone is not calculating the overtime correctly. How does a maintenance worker earn $14,000 in overtime in one month? Oh yeah, B.E.C. (Boongie Every Customer) employees have the juiciest employment contracts in the world. There are probably allowances for potty breaks and breakfast, lunch and dinner allowances, etc.
asiseeit 9 years, 4 months ago
Every single Bahamian is paying the price for these B.E.C. employee's. The simple fact is THEY are part of a company that THEY have run into the ground. The other fact is that WE as Bahamian taxpayers and electricity consumers are being held hostage by these failures. Every single person that gets a salary from B.E.C. is pretty much stealing from The Bahamian taxpayer. If the company is in debt. to the tune of 450 million then there is no way ANY B.E.C. employee should get ANY bonus until the company is out of debt and MAKING money. That is how it works in the REAL world. You greedy, unpatriotic, failures, are holding the ENTIRE COUNTRY BACK!
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
I wish this practice of withholding names would stop. Why is this private? If you work for the civil service,the taxpayers ( who pay your salary and are in effect your employers) have a right to know how much they are paying you. The salary of every civil servant in this country should be public knowledge. Otherwise we have the current system where the corruption is done in the dark where it continues to flourish no end. The tribune would do a great public service by bringing this dirt into the light and name these people. Only then will it end.
EnoughIsEnough 9 years, 4 months ago
i agree with you completely. name the location where most of the workers are gaining the obscene overtime. name the managers who are authorizing these payments. a public company is owned by the taxpayers and we have a right to know. tribune only makes it half way to good journalism. i support miller wholehearteadly and am wondering why he did not implement this shift scheduling when he talked about it in 2013. the union is destroying this country and power needs to be taken away from them.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Wow looks at da Tribune using up they's inks. Not only have they gone red shirts but they is writing misinformation to support, none other than da Comrade Pot cake BEC Chairman. Could the Tribune have possibly made headline any bigger, without having to dedicate their entire front-page BEC overtime pay? Comrades this hereto newspaper’s redness is not some well-hidden secret. They hate everything and all that is or resembles anything PLP but in their eagerness, should they attack this PLP government as they are accustomed doing, although often deservedly, that the paper is willing to go along with playing into Pot cakes little games? But we all knows, they damn well knows better. Believe me, Tribune's old clippings morgue on what they really think about da Comrade Pot cake Leslie, ain't matching what they ink is writing today. Thy just using fake ink. You know kind that, now you see it, now it disappears.
Sickened 9 years, 4 months ago
BEC sucks... just as much as BTC. The two worst run companies in the Caribbean!!! Both companies are just sucking up as much cash as they can. F the people. All for me. Ignorant leadership, workers and union.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Any large conpany employing accountants would know da Pot cakes accounting is seriously flawed.
duppyVAT 9 years, 4 months ago
Well it seems that even the BEC employees feel that they are going to be targets for criminals ................. they should feel that way after robbing the citizens and not providing quality service. All we hear from them is that the engines are old, and fuel is high. So why do you need six guys to work after 5 pm on a project where only two guys are actually doing the work????
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 4 months ago
Well what do we expect? BEC is a jobs for votes depot. Of course so many want something for nothing. Who's the moron that's approving all the overtime? How much that one getting?
And I bet if it goes up for sale we'll bitch and moan about that too... And one of the arguments will be jobs will be lost so don't sell....
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Freeport's say they will gladly trade Freeport power, for BEC any day of da year. Only then can Freeport's children look forward buying ice cream. Comrades BEC is more than just a greedy union problem. How or even could we expect anything but complete chaos coming out BEC.. PM's Pindling, Hubert and again Christie are one's equally deserving of being included in the Tribune's headlines. They talk about privatizing but Freeport's privately-owned, and from day one, is even worser in charges for lights and power going off, than on BEC's worst day. Any Freeporter will tell you. truth is, they goes bed dreaming, if only we had a BEC supplying we lights. truth is, unlike Freeport Power, BEC has never cut-off the lights ya children's schools. They shut-off lights of12 schools at one flip of da switch. Try buying you self ice cream on hot day from a store in Freeport. Too damn scared risk stocking it in da freezers.. Comrades I knows these things.
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
Tal you are either grossly misinformed or straight up lying about grand Bahama power company. First of all their rates are now much lower than B.E.C. Go to their website and educate yourself. Depending on your Kwhr usage you will pay on average 20 cents per kwhr in the base rate and the current fuel surcharge for now is just 15.96. The average total B.E.C rate in well over 40 cents per kwhr. Secondly they have a new modern plant run by an experienced private company that does preventative maintenance. Power failures have been reduced drastically, and they have far fewer outages than B.E.C. So please inform yourself and stop lying!
Girly 9 years, 4 months ago
I betta go fill out my application to BEC to get rich and become a millionaire off overtime.
realfreethinker 9 years, 4 months ago
Why do you all keep blaming the employees for the shit that is BEC. The buck stops at the management and government doors. There is nothing wrong with employees seeking the best for them. How many of you would say to to your employer if he/she ask you to work work overtime.It is not their fault that they have to work overtime to keep the crappy machines running.
The_Oracle 9 years, 4 months ago
Tal you so full of B.S. GB power is profitably run, in fact their profit probably equals BEC losses! Same basic rates in both cases, courtesy of the Port Authority rate structure guaranteeing them a MINIMUM 10% return on investment. If it wasn't profitable, the foreign ownership would be long gone! Asking for BEC in Grand Bahama would be like trading bad chicken for bad Pork!
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
Thank you. Tal may be entitled to his misinformed opinion but not the facts. grand Bahama power company is a win for everyone, all around. The new modern efficient plant has allowed rates to fall much lower than at B.E.C, while providing reliable power so customers are happy. On the other hand gbpc is now profitable for the first time in many years (last year 11.8 million net income) and is on a footing to provide, relatively cheap, stable power for many years to come. All the things B.E.C is not, well on track for 30 million in losses this year!
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Oh my, thought "Mr. PLP 10%" had long left Freeport?
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrades the foreigners owned Freeport Power Company didn't just pick any day cut off schools lights but they timed it happen with flip of da lights switch on the Children's' Report Card Day.
It was reported that: "Power was disconnected at 18 public schools in Grand Bahama on Wednesday. During National Report Card Day on Thursday, teachers went outdoors to give out report cards due to the extreme heat inside."
Were Grand Bahamians informed the power company was about be sold and if they were not offered opportunities buy shares in their island's power company, why in hell not? Were they even required to have informed or required sale approval from Bahamaland's government? If not, why in hell not? Should a bunch of privileged foreigners control any island city anywhere in Bahamaland? Please, this is no damn longer the ex jail con Wallace Groves 1950's - 60's..
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
Gbpc as a private company is not in the business, nor should they be of providing welfare assistance. The govt refused to pay anything on their electrical bill for ONE Year! Needless, to say the govt paid their entire outstanding bill of over 1 million dollars in a matter of 2 days after the schools rightly were disconnected. Tal stop condoning slackness. It is sorry, misinformed apologists like you that are ruining our country. The govt must pay their bills just like private citizens.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
What in hell did Sir Stafford and Wallace Groves create, if not a privately own island city under guise of, Hawksbill (Corporate Welfare) Agreement? Comrade Brother, this is almost 2015, not the 1950's -60's. Adults in Freeport are like pieces of a private corporation's chattels. i say its past time government Bahamaland repossess Freeport.
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
Tal gbpc is not a wholly foreign owned company. I analyze bahamian companies for a living. 19.6% of the company is in private Bahamian hands through a publicly traded holding company called ICD utilities. If you want you can buy these shares Monday on Bisx and get your piece of the pie. This company is a great investment for any bahamian. So again, please educate yourself before you make false, ignorant statements.
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrade you're not suggesting your19.6% have any say? Tell all we, if i dig deeper would i find you been recommending GBPC as a buy, don't buy, hold or sell? Tell truth, not hard find out? Plus, I once had ever mention anything about buying shares in GBPC.
DonAnthony 9 years, 4 months ago
It is true an investor should go in with the realization that they will be a minority investor, with no real influence over the direction of the company. No doubt we need minority shareholder protection regulation in this country, that is sorry lacking just look at the mess with Bahamas supermarkets. At the same time it is an opportunity to buy into a very well run company which has a bright future. Emera purchased their last tranche of shares at $8.20 and shares are currently trading at 5.11 so on the face of it, it is a strong buy. Like all investments however, never buy anything you do not understand (and always do your own research). By the way Bahamians have been able to buy shares in gbpc through icd utilities since 1996, so you must not read the newspapers very much!
TalRussell 9 years, 4 months ago
Comrade despite no minority shareholder protection, your exact words, not mine, do you advise your own clients invest in such known risks - after knowing all about minority shareholder mess left behind, not only by Bahamas Supermarkets but others in Bahamaland? Are there not safer investment options available with the same returns potential. Why would you not have recommend the less riskier investment to your clients, if that is not what you actually did?
Alex_Charles 9 years, 4 months ago
oh god this country is a steaming pile of shxt what the fk isn't going wrong here? god knows how many shootings/armed robberies we had today plus a hostage situation And the shxt never stops..... Whats the solution? Push the cost to us of course, blame the younger generation, blow steam for a week then it's like it never even happened. If you want change in this country the pick up a gun and start shooting. There is no accountability, no transparency, no freedom of information. This entire country is going to crash and become the biggest pile of shxt in the region if we continue to go full speed into oblivion.
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 4 months ago
Nothing but vote buying going on here together with family members and friends of our corrupt politicians getting paid handsomely for causing all of our power outages and high light bills. Perry "Vomit" Christie is the man behind all of the corruption in our country today that is causing all of us so much heart ache and driving us into the bottomless pit of squalor and poverty. Christie, Nottage, Maynard-Gibson, Davis, McWeeney QC, McWeeney banker, Wilson aka Snake, etc. are at the very core of the most evil plight that has ever inflicted the good, honest hard working and God fearing people of the Bahamas.
afficianado 9 years, 4 months ago
lmao
DEDDIE 9 years, 4 months ago
The government should have been out of the utility business a long time ago.The government should not be doing what the private sector could do more efficiently. BEC bill is 70% more even-though my house in Freeport is 3 times larger than the one in Nassau. 5 Million in O/T is the reason why.
Greentea 9 years, 4 months ago
everyone is harping on this 5 million in OT- That is the result of gross mismanagement and understaffing in key skilled areas, over staffing in other unskilled areas and union deals. When things go wrong my guess is that they probably have two to three clutch workers that can fix things which is beyond PATHETIC. And we should NEVER know their names because some dumb azz would make sure we only have one or none of them after they try to rob them. try get the lights on then. Remember These fellas don't just show up for OT. it's Management that ask them to work OT. But my fellow Bahamians this is a DISTRACTION! After you commiserate over this 5 million explain the other 445 million BEC owes. That's hardly OT even if we give them 20 years worth- they still have to explain 350 million. Pure unadulterated corruption and managerial incompetence. these fellas working long hours to keep out dated and overused machinery working. they probably deserve more credit than we give them and the truth is they aren't the decision makers. BEC is a failure for a lot of reasons but OT is only a symptom of much bigger issues.
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