The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

PRESIDENT of the Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union Dwayne Woods said yesterday he has told his members not to be alarmed over reports the Water & Sewerage Corporation will likely be right-sizing its workforce through voluntary separations.

On Monday WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson told Tribune Business that while the corporation had yet to reach this point, there was “no doubt” it will have to restructure and reorganise in a bid to align its staffing and cost base with revenues and future needs.

“All options are on the table on that,” Mr Gibson said. “Consideration will likely be given to voluntary separation packages (VSEPs), no doubt.”

However, in a statement to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Woods attempted to mitigate any concerns BUSAWU members may have regarding these comments.

Mr Woods added that only 15 people are currently choosing to leave the corporation.

“The first thing I would want to do is to caution my union members that there is no cause for alarm, and to confirm that the union has written the corporation to request separation packages for some 15 persons who were voluntarily opting to leave the corporation,” he said.

“Secondly, the Water and Sewerage Corporation’s non-management union consists of 340 persons throughout all of the Bahama islands, and that the union and the corporation has steered the course over the past years to minimise overstaffing of the organisation.”

When asked if he has heard anything about a potential number of VSEPs to be issued, Mr Woods said he is still waiting on the final numbers from the corporation.

“I await a response from the corporation as we speak. We wrote for 15, but we have already sat down with the corporation and have an understanding that over a five-year period, 100 persons would retire normally through natural attrition,” he said.

“So with the 15 we wrote for, and the 100 through the process of natural attrition, in a five year period, with two years already being gone, I feel we should be alright.

“And that is the reason why I tell my members there’s no cause for alarm. Not yet. And until we see what the package is going to be, we must reserve all rights to sit down and negotiate in good faith.”

Mr Woods also expressed hope the VSEP negotiations will be conducive.

“We have a model. This will be my second time negotiating such a package, and we have a model to go by. So with precedent being set, it only could get better hey?

“It can’t get worse. And I’m quite sure that every member, based on the precedent that was set, will accept what is going to be put on the table as long as we can maintain the precedent or get something better.”

However, Mr Woods did acknowledge the corporation does need restructuring.

“It is evident that we don’t have an overstaffing problem, but we have been negotiating with the corporation in order to restructure the organisation.

“So we agree with the chairman and the board that the organisation requires restructuring in order to get the best out of all the workers.

“And this is something we’ve been requesting for some time, however the corporation took it upon itself and postponed the restructuring process on more than two occasions between last year and this year.

“So we look forward to partnering with the corporation in this vein in the interest of the tripartite arrangement.”

When asked how he feels about Mr Gibson’s statement on Monday concerning planned VESPs at WSC, Mr Woods admitted disappointment that Mr Gibson chose to speak to the press instead of dealing with the matter internally.

“It would be hypocritical of me to say that I haven’t been communicating with them because I wrote first. I wrote them requesting the same. Now it’s such a pity that the chairman is a politician, he would go to the press.

“But I thought the matter would have been dealt with internally, rather than in the press. And I trust and hope that when we do the negotiations, it will be held in the strictest confidence so as to protect the persons involved.

“So I would trust that, seeing that we’re on one accord, we could stay out the press.”