The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Electricity Corporation`s (BEC) excecutive chairman yesterday said it will move to a rostering and scheduling system with effect from February 1 in a bid to reduce its more than $12 million annual overtime bill.

Leslie Miller, during a contribution in the House of Assembly on a $250 million loan refinancing for BEC,said the cash-strapped Corproation would continue to look at ways to improve its financial position, one of them being them being the reduction of its annual overtime payout.

“Effective beginning the month of February, BEC will move to a more efficient rostering and scheduling process that will drastically reduce overtime pay and enhance our ability to the Bahamian consumers, who rely on us to be a 24-hour, seven day a week enterprise,” Mr Miller said.

The union representing BEC’s line-staff has argued, however, that overtime is authorised by management, and that employees accumulated significant overtime hours because the Corporation was understaffed.

Stephano Greene, president of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU), said yesterday that the union was unaware of any rostering or scheduling moves. “No one has approached us with anything. The Corporation has not brought anything to us as it relates to rostering,”`he added.