The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Communications and Public Officers Union Secretary General Dino Rolle warned yesterday that the union is prepared to take industrial action “at any time” if its members continue to be disrespected by BTC.

Mr Rolle said it is insulting to staff that BTC can spend millions of dollars to sponsor such recent events as Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and the IAAF World Relays, but when employees ask for “what they deserve” they are told BTC is “broke.”

Mr Rolle spoke to reporters outside BTC’s headquarters on John F Kennedy Drive. He called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to intervene on the stalled industrial agreement negotiations before the union takes it to the “next level”.

BCPOU’s industrial agreement expired on March 31, 2014.

“Prior to the sale of BTC we sat around the table and we have negotiated fair compensation packages. We know that times have changed and we are reasonable and so we expect if management could sponsor everything, every pigeon flight BTC sponsors, and they paint everywhere blue then we expect management to be fair to its employees and sponsor us too,” Mr Rolle said.

“We have always been responsible and we have always acted responsibly, but we are going to do what is necessary to get management’s attention. We think it is important to let the public know that . . .BTC staff is catching eternal hell. Enough is enough and we will not sit down idly any longer.”

He added: “Prime Minister Perry Christie (through the government’s stake) represents 49 or 51 per cent or whatever it is, he represents a share in BTC on behalf of the government and so he ought to intervene. BTC has (decorated) this whole country during carnival and the prime minister seemed to have had a jolly good time and now it its time for him to step in and do what is right for the people of BTC.”

Mr Rolle said BTC has still not told the union how they intend to carry out their redundancy exercise.

“We don’t know how many people will be let go or when. This company has taken an unprecedented step to begin redundancy exercises on the heels of a failed VSEP exercise and it has left the staff in an atmosphere of uncertainty where working morale is in the pits. We say to our employer, it is time for us to have an upgrade, we look to you for a sponsor.”

BTC is reportedly set to cut 150 jobs in preparation for liberalisation of the mobile service market. Mr Rolle said only around 100 persons accepted the voluntary separation packages offered to employees in March.