The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

AFTER three days of demonstrations, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) abruptly changed its tone yesterday offering apologies to Prime Minister Perry Christie and BEC Chairman Leslie Miller.

Speaking to The Big T, BEWU president Stephano Greene expressed his regret over comments he made to the media describing Mr Miller as ‘a dog needing a leash’. The unionists also made several demands of the government including that Mr Miller be

fired. 

Mr Greene said: “I want to go on record as saying that I might have made some statements that were not in the best of taste by saying that the government ought to control their dog.

“I in no way or form want to show disrespect to Mr Miller or the government. We apologise for any inconvenience that it may have caused.

“We realise that there is a certain way that things should be conducted especially when we get to Prime Minister Perry Christie’s level. I apologise.”

Mr Greene’s attack on Mr Miller came on Wednesday, the second day of protesting at BEC’s main offices. He claimed Mr Miller was lambasting staff and acting as a tyrant by publicly announcing whom he would fire from the company.

He said the government may need to “put a leash on their dog and put him in line.” 

The BEWU took their protests to the Superclubs Breezes Hotel at Cable Beach on Thursday. They demanded a meeting with Prime Minister Perry Christie, who met them later.

The industrial unrest has also led to a police probe into a power outage on Wednesday, said BEC spokesman Arnette Ingraham.

She said: “There was a generator trip at Blue Hills on Wednesday evening, April 3, 2013. To my knowledge, due to the heightened industrial climate at BEC, the Royal Bahamas Police Force was contacted to conduct an investigation.”

Mr Greene said that if the investigation found a union member was guilty of sabotage, they would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.

Operations at BEC were ‘back to normal’ yesterday.