The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Former Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) staff have been allowed to form a company that will have the “right of first refusal” to supply services to the carrier, a trade union leader says.

Bernard Evans, president of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), said of the outsourced employees:

“They (BTC) are preparing an RFP. While it’s being prepared, the employees were outsourced.

“They have been allowed to form a company and we were able to negotiate first right of refusal. That’s the process being done now. Maybe in another two to three months they should have a proposal before us to look at.”

Mr Evans added that many of the employees who accepted BTC’s voluntary separation packages - just over 100 - were primarily technical support staff, and have taken advantage of the company’s outsourcing and fixed-term contractual work offer.

“We were able to negotiate first right of refusal, That was our main bone of contention. We worked very hard to get that. It’s a golden opportunity for our members who have been outsourced,” said Mr Evans.

“Currently they are working month-to-month providing the same services until the company has concluded the RFP exercise. Once that is done, hopefully there will be a smooth transition to former employees becoming owners and  entrepreneurs, and being engaged in a contract with the company. 

“Except for a few hiccups here and there, which are to be expected, overall we’re pretty much satisfied with how things have progressed.”

Back in February it was announced that BTC - which had just over 700 employees - planned to cut jobs to reduce its operational costs in preparation for competition in the mobile sector.