Paul Maynard
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard insisted yesterday no employee will be pushed out as he raised concerns regarding the job security of Bahamas Power and Light employees upon the completion of the Shell North America deal.
As finalisation of the deal will mean that the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, of which BPL is a subsidiary, will no longer be in the business of generating power, Mr Maynard said there are concerns about the future of workers in a situation where Shell will be performing this role.
Negotiations over the deal are ongoing and officials don’t expect to reach completion until sometime in the first quarter of 2019. But Mr Maynard maintained that the devil is in the details.
Mr Maynard said: “They are now entering into the power purchase agreement and I have spoken to the chairman and the minister and I’ve raised my concerns that it’s obvious that Shell will be taking over the whole generation.
“BEC is getting out of the generation business, which means that Shell will now be in the power generation business.”
He continued: “The union’s concern is primarily our staff being trained and the future of our staff at the power station. Obviously, they are going to have to keep the staff.
“The union is not going to tolerate them bringing foreigners in here when our staff could be trained and they do it.
“No you ain’t pushing the Bahamians out and they be without jobs and the foreigners have jobs. That ain’t happening.”
He admitted that executives have consulted the union, but their concerns have remained.
Last month, the country was said to be one step closer to lower energy bills and more stable electricity generation with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BPL and Shell North America for an integrated LNG gas-to-power project.
However, at the time of the signing it was unclear whether consumers will feel the impact of the corporation’s transition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) during the Minnis administration’s term as the project, which features a 220-250 megawatt (MW) power plant is not slated to be completed until the “early 2020’s”.
Shell officials were also unable to offer any estimates on how much it planned to invest on the project, stating it was too early to tell.
“In terms of starting construction,” Donovan Moxey, BPL chairman said last month. “It won’t start until after the PPA (power purchase agreement) has been negotiated, all of the environmental studies, impact assessments, environmental plans have been done. Everything is done in accordance with the planning and subdivisions act and we follow all those processes.
“And so the hope for us is that we get construction started soon enough so that we can have the plant online by the early 2020’s. Our target goal is sometime before or around 2022 but you never know what may delay the project moving forward.”
Shell, the project developer and independent power producer, will absorb the costs of developing marine infrastructure, and constructing the gas pipeline, LNG terminal and new power plant, according Mr Moxey, who said negotiations will now turn to locking down commercial agreements over the supply rate.
Mr Moxey last month said negotiations over the PPA will likely take around three to four months.
He could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday.
Comments
joeblow 5 years, 4 months ago
These bellicose antics by union leaders have no place in the 21st century Bahamas! It seems unions only exist to keep companies overstaffed!!
stocktonfuller 5 years, 4 months ago
I wouldn't worry too much about an impact from the "Shell Deal" because it is most unlikely to happer
Naughtydread 5 years, 4 months ago
I love how these union leaders have the highest demands but bring literally zero to the table. I guess he thinks he can just shout at people and they will give him what he wants. Typical delusional boomer who is gonna be replaced by automation in the next 10 years or so. The good thing about robots is that they work for free, don't expect high wages and can't talk back to people. Lets make the Bahamas great again!
Dawes 5 years, 4 months ago
If they asked the consumer whether they would want cheaper power or to continue to pay the same so no jobs are lost i would guarantee nearly all would say cheaper power. People like this give unions a bad name, he is basically saying he doesn't care about the general public being made broke by the cost of BEC.
bogart 5 years, 4 months ago
IN ALL FAIRNESS....THE UNION LRADER IS DOING ...HIS JOB ------------AS ....ELECTED .......AN EMPLOYED ......BY ......HIS ......WORKERS....And the fact that he continued to get the bestest for his workers is darn good...given these ....worst times with VAT taxation....and taxes taking the mostest ever from Bahamians especially the pore majority.......PAY IT NO MIND DAT HE IS GRABBILICIOUS...DETERMINED...SHREWD....CALCULATING......RELENTLESS....TOUGH....YET CARING AND CONCERNED AS TO THE PLIGHT OF BAHAMIAN..FORCED INTO . PROSTITUTES TO PAY BILLS......HE............THIS UNION LEADER ID DOING HIS JOB......AND SHOULD INSTEAD BE IN POLITICAL OFFICE........OR OPEN HIS OWN CHURCH.......TO BEST USE HIS SKILLS....,!!!!
geostorm 5 years, 4 months ago
Mr Maynard, please go sit in the corner with your fingers on your lips! It is union leaders like you who have helped to set this country back. If BPL needs to be automated in order to provide efficient service then I would vote 100 times for automation. All you unions do is take, take take. Selfish, while the Bahamian consumer suffers!
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 4 months ago
Man please. BPL needs to lose about 300 jobs. Why you think our damn bills so high. Ya'll got what? About 40% more people than you need????
These unions need to get real....
sheeprunner12 5 years, 4 months ago
The selfish unions are hell bent on bringing down the whole economy ..... from the hotels ....... to the civil service ...... to the corporations ..... LORD HELP US!!!
bogart 5 years, 4 months ago
ALL THE WORSEST CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE UNIONS.....till Kingdom cpme....Fact is there seems to be no means to contra their actions....from the Other side....despite the FACT there are paid salaried...Gubbermint Officials ....Experts......researchers fron the University of the Bahamas.....Analysts.....Legislative possibilities to enact.....Law to investigate any alleged wrong doings.....negotiatprs...HUNDREDS OF OFFICIALS THE GUBBERMINT CAN AN COULD HAVE BROUGHT TO CALL OVER THE DECADES TO COST THESE UNION ACTIONS TO SEE THD BEST WAY FORWATD FOR THE NATION....BUT HERE WE IS TODAY....RIGHT NOW TAXPAYERS ARE UPSET........HERE Bahamizms is paying all dis money for expert Cabinet Ministers and that is the most important one ------- dea Ing wid CRITICAL CLIMATE CHANGE ..destroy nation.....Greenland ice fields melting faster than calculated.......an there is Minister all dress up in green bedsheet robe playing Super Hero wid lil school chillrens in school yard.....
DDK 5 years, 4 months ago
My electric bills have now gone up over 34% compared with the same period last year for the last bill (October) released. Should the Bahamians take to the streets of the capital like the Parisians? The government is NOT LISTENING to the cries of THE People.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 4 months ago
We do not have the guts to do that .......... nor are we that desperate yet.
But it may happen after VAT15, NHI, WTO, OECD and the Chinese own us.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Dimwitted Minnis and his cabinet ministers are banking on Bahamian voters being willing to eat mud pies first, long before it even dawns on them that they should've taken to the streets first to cause a vote of no confidence in Minnis as PM. LMAO
licks2 5 years, 4 months ago
We will never reach that point. . .too many stupid politicos are around talking dumb childish stuff like this which will cause us never to reach a coherent national concensus based on real issues and not some jackass notions. . .which you seem not to be able to move away from. . .and yet you want to run this nation. . .LMAO about that!
sheeprunner12 5 years, 4 months ago
The Bahamian population can only remove a Government at election time ....... There will probably never be another Vote of No Confidence in a Bahamian PM by his Party ....... The first (and last) time was the Dissident Eight crew back in the day ........ Ministers are too greedy and tied to PEPs to risk the sweetness of standing up for The People
DDK 5 years, 4 months ago
Your may be right, but we can always live in hope. It's almost time for the Westminster vote. Wonder if our PM is paying attention!
licks2 5 years, 4 months ago
Runner I do believe that the Bahamians will do that. . .reach the point of the "Parisian effect". . .only problem here now is that the "row in public" is by and large them PLP trying to swing us to get back into the house!! Remeber who marched during the WE MARCH thing. . .the people not the FNM. . .the FNM "hitched" they wagons onto the march. . .BUT THE MARCH WAS THE PEOPLE MAD AS HELL WITH THE PLP!! These marches, only PLP led unions striking "and een know why they striking. . .trying to make things look like things. . .WEEN ON THEY RUN!!
Doc them careful to watch REAL PEOPLE reactions to their work. . .they usually pull back when they see them "reel yard chickens" cut eyes and things!! Everybody done damn tired of the PLP and they dumb childish ra ra ray ray. . .gern bout by we business. . .ween into them damn organized criminals called the PLP!!! They are to us like one sweetheart telling a wife that another woman sweethearting her husband. . .only to get rid of the competition so that she can get the husband all to shesef!!
TheMadHatter 5 years, 4 months ago
He continued: “The union’s concern is primarily our staff being trained and the future of our staff at the power station. Obviously, they are going to have to keep the staff.
Of couse they have to keep the staff. The remaining unburned generators aint got no insurance either.
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