BPL rejects one-third of departure requests

As of Friday, June 29, 2018

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light's (BPL) chief executive yesterday said "one-third" of the company's voluntary separation (VSEP) applicants have been deemed "critical employees" who cannot be released at this time.

Whitney Heastie said those employees will be asked to remain with the company to assist the state-owned utility through its summer peak season. Given that BPL received 314 voluntary separation requests, his comments imply that around 100 have not been accepted.

"We're looking at about 300 people. A third of those we have deemed as critical employees, and we are going to have to ask them them to stay back and help us through this most critical part of the year, which is summer and our peak season. Then there is a phase-out approach with those staying on as to when they can be released," said Mr Heastie.

"A lot of folks that have left are the most senior people in the organisation, with the most experience in this organisation, and we certainly have learned from these type of exercises in the past where voluntary separation packages are being offered.

"What happens is the senior and most experienced folks leave, and all of a sudden you are in a more critical situation than before. We have applied those lessons to make sure we don't fall into the same trap as before. I think we're in a good position across the board, both technically and administratively, to make sure that we can run this business safely and reliably through the summer period."

He added: "All we are doing is asking them to defer their leaving the company until such time that they can be released." BPL had originally expected to save between $1 million to $2 million per month when the VSEP was completed, but that may not be realised now.

Paul Maynard, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union's (BEWU) president, told Tribune Business earlier this week that the state-owned utility monopoly could not keep those workers it had rejected "longer than two years".

He said there was "some concern" among staff whose VSEP applications had been rejected, but expressed hope that all issues will be "worked out in meetings" this week with BPL management.

DDK 5 years, 9 months ago

So what will the monthly savings now be, one wonders?

That_cat_D 5 years, 9 months ago

Seems as if they are talking with 2 tongues. Initially they said they were targeting 311 people to accept the package and let go. If only 300 applied u can’t let 100 go now? Something isn’t adding up. Seems as if 4-600 people applied. When do the foreign consultants start with those exorbitant salaries or have they already??

sheeprunner12 5 years, 9 months ago

Sooooooo, if they are so "critical" to BPL now ......... will that mean that BPL will have to sweeten the pot even further - if these workers insist on leaving????????

Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 9 months ago

If there was no identification, definition or mention of critical employees at the time the voluntary separation packages were offered and accepted, then BPL cannot now renege on the original contract created by seeking to add the 'critical employee' condition after the fact. It sounds to me like the Chairlady (Osbourne), the Deputy Chairman and the CEO (Heastie) really screwed up the downsizing effort and we the taxpayers/customers of BPL are going to pay big time for their royal screw up. I suspect many of the so called 'critical employees' who accepted their package only to subsequently learn that Osbourne and Heastie are now seeking to have them indefinitely shackled to BPL, will be seeking legal advice on BPL's breach of contract.

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