BEC Chairman Leslie Miller
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
TAKING their continuing war of words to another level, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union has threatened to start representing employees of BEC chairman Leslie Miller’s private businesses – forcing Mr Miller to deal with the BEWU in order to make his own living.
“There is more than one way to skin a cat,” BEWU president Stephano Greene said yesterday. “We will hit him at every angle going forward.”
For his part, Mr Miller dismissed the threat, telling the union to “get real. or get lost.”
The sabre-rattling by the BEWU comes after Mr Miller issued a corporation-wide memo telling staff they will no longer be allowed to collect from National Insurance for certain benefits, such as sick benefit, while being paid by BEC.
He said beginning November 1, BEC employees will no longer be allowed to “double dip” by collecting both NIB and their full salary.
Mr Greene said the union will not stand idly by and let their benefits be cut, in fact he said the workers are now on “alert” and action will be taken in the near future.
Yesterday, Mr Greene said employees from Mr Miller’s businesses should contact the union “on a daily basis” to complain about the way they are treated by Mr Miller and his executive staff. Because of this, Mr Greene, said the union is sorting out all the legalities to allow these employees to join their union.
“We have been hearing the cries from the employees at the businesses he owns. They are crying and hurting because they are saying to us they aren’t being treated fairly. They are saying to us that the environment they are forced to work in is not conducive to their productivity and they want our help. We told them we will help them in anyway we can,” he said.
“Any worker can join the union of their choice. What we will have to do is formally ask them to join once. Once they join, we will have to be recognized by the employer, which I am sure Mr Miller will not agree to, so then we will go to the government. This is something that needs to happen. If you think things are bad here at BEC where we have a union, imagine what he does to his employees at his private business. So we are actively looking into how they can join us. There is more than one way to skin a cat. We will hit him at every angle going forward. He needs to know the way that he is treating his employees is not right and we, or they, will not stand for it.”
Responding last night, Mr Miller said: “These idiotic threats made by the president are a useless exercise in futility. For a public corporation, which is owned by the Bahamian people to be losing in excess of $22 million, and for the union to believe that they should continue to suck all the financial air out of that corporation to the detriment of the Bahamian people is utterly and grossly disgraceful and it shows the callousness and total disregard that this man and his union have for the Bahamian people.
“Instead of them trying to be more productive, instead of them working in concert with the Board and management to ensure that their jobs are not jeopardized due to the financial haemorrhage that is taking place, their only concern is what is in it for them.
“There is no money left in BEC. The membership have taken it all. There is nothing left to give. It is now time for them to give back what rightfully belongs to the people of the Bahamas.”
Mr Miller pointed out that it would be easy for the government to simply start firing excess employees at BEC and thereby save millions of dollars for the benefit of the public.
“But we can work together as a team in trying to put BEC in a better financial state to enable it to fulfil its obligation in serving the people of the Bahamas,” he said.
Mr Miller said he believes the union heads are just “bitter” because over the past year, the government has cut overtime by more than $4 million, and plans to cut another $4 million over the next 12 months.
“Every penny that we save in every facet of BEC is going to go directly to decreasing the cost of electricity for the Bahamian people.
“I want the union to know that I fear no man, or no group. I will continue to work diligently, and tirelessly on behalf of the Bahamian people who I have the privilege of representing in the halls of Parliament and by extension as chairman of BEC.”
Mr Miller added that it might interest the Bahamian people to know that while the corporation is losing $22.5 million, each line staff member is anticipating a Christmas bonus of more than $1,200 with some in management getting $10,000 to $12,000 in bonuses.
“I wonder if someone could please tell where else in the world, any entity, private or public, losing $22.5 million can still give bonuses to those who have caused the corporation to be in the state it is,” he asked.
Comments
rory 11 years ago
That union leader sounds like a terrorist, or just a total retard.
banker 11 years ago
Aren't they one and the same? Union Leader = terrorist = retard?
bismark 11 years ago
The employees of B.E.C are to damn greedy!you know how much money some of them make?the average Bahamian doesn't have a job and some of those greedy suckers down there collect a salary and they want overtime,for work they should have been doing in their regular shift,bonus?some people don't even have a job!the chairman needs to fire that union idiot and the rest of those clowns behind him,they cant even keep the lights on,you wonder why our light bill is so high?because the majority of that money goes to pay exorbitant salaries down at B.E.C. T hey have an issue every year I bet you if B.E.C was private half of those clowns would have already been fired.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
The union is engaging in nothing other than mischief making.
UserOne 11 years ago
Don't forget how much money Leslie Miller owes in unpaid electricity bills. He can't accuse the workers of causing BEC's financial problems when he owes so much to BEC.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
Its ironic in a way the politicians have created these monsters over the years by using public corps to absorb our prolific baby making .There is no way a country can survive w/ out borrowing to the hilt when 1 in 4 people are on the public purse , The 3 private industry workers can,t supply enough tax revenue to support it . The outcome w/ out a massive cultural shift in our sexual habits is more borrowing to support the public services or lay offs and more crime and poverty .The politicians ,PLP and FNM are not dumb men and they Know this ,there choice is does the whole country suffer or are the productive people w/ 1 and 2 children allowed to enjoy a middle class life while the ghettos and crime grow ,a la Jamaica ,Haiti .It really as simple as we make more babies then any reasonable GDP growth can absorb ,we have been delaying the inevitable outcome w/ borrowing and public service jobs .IT REAL IS THAT SIMPLE ..
John 11 years ago
A N Y O N E who believes that blackout yesterday wasn't the union at work still believes in santa claus. Amazing that no other PLP MP or cabinet minister has stepped up to support Mr. Miller in his efforts to stamp out slackness, if not corruption at BEC. Simple things like turning off lights and air conditioners when leaving work can help cut governments expenses. But government workers have not felt the brunt of the recession that the rest of the Bahamas felt for 5 years. Many had their paychecks on time and secure. NOW TO FIND OUT SOME MAY HAVE BEEN DOUBLE DIPPING!
Greentea 11 years ago
The power the union has did not develop overnight. In the days of milk and honey, government after government conceded to their demands and now they have a stranglehold on a failing corporation and the country. BEC's inefficiency over the years has cost the country untold billions of dollars. Not just in its obvious wastage but i terms of every tv, and fridge the every man has had to replace because of brownout, and constant power disruptions. The union cannot seem to balance immediate self interest with long term benefits for the country and in terms of their job future- themselves. Unfortunately Miller simply does not have the moral authority or the ethical skills to shift things (quite frankly some of his tactics have been appalling)- But while he and the union squabble in public, the silent government should sell BEC from under them.
JohnDoe 11 years ago
You are spot on! Unions in this country have become labour Cartels and impediments to a properly functioning labour market. Sadly it is these very same politicians who have used these unions and their leaders for their selfish political gains and now the entire country is paying the price. Having examined BEC's financials, the issues at BEC run much deeper than a labour or culture issue which Miller has been focused on. They have an inefficient, old, costly and technologically challenged generation plant, an ineffective distribution network, too much debt with no financial flexibility to finance the capital expenditure necessary and very very poor operational, executive and Board management and leadership. Although the three million dollars at issue in this case sounds like a lot in absolute terms and certainly creates good press for Miller, compared to the real costs drivers facing BEC this amount is virtually immaterial. Further, it would seem to me that this is an NIB issue and not a BEC issue.
Reality_Check 11 years ago
PGC's initial appointment and continued support of Miller is nothing but sad commentary on our times. The rift today between the PLP and the unions falls squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Vomit himself!
banker 11 years ago
The ironic bit is that Miller's financial advisor for his own businesses was arrested for fraud and lost his banking job because of it.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
There are no heroes here on either side. As someone pointed out earlier, Mr Miller needs to pay his bill (if not done so already); these unions need to start acting ETHICALLY and within the law, holding the country hostage for your own selfish needs is not ok; someone needs to rein in the slackness at these govt run corporations or the govt needs to get out the business of running corporations.
USAhelp 11 years ago
Can anyone prove Miller has not paid his bills.
jlcandu 11 years ago
Despite Mr. Miller's ethics and non-payment of electricity bills, he is the only politician that I can think of that actually is trying to do something with BEC in terms of getting costs under control. You can't blame him for what previous politicians stupidly agreed to with the union. Unions exist for the betterment of their members, not the company they work for.
The only solution to this big problem is to privatize BEC and abolish the union. Then the workers will actually have to work for a living and will have limited benefits like other companies in the private sector!!!
Keep up the good work, Mr. Miller!!!
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
I like what Mr Miller is trying to accomplish as well, at the same time, I don't think the way he is going about it is the best way BUT I do not know if any other way would work given the nonsensical responses from Mr Greene. What must he be advising his members to do behind closed doors if he is making these ignorant and ethically challenged statements to the press?
Guy 11 years ago
Can you believe this guy? How is it a "benefit" of BEC union members to claim sickness benefit AND collect full salary? I agree with Miller 100%. These unions are terrorists in truth and Mr. Green will not stop until he has sucked every penny out of BEC!
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