The Tribune

BEC chairman Leslie Miller yesterday blasted union efforts to block benefit cuts as selfish and greedy given the corporation’s economic turmoil.

Mr Miller, underscored his commitment to reduce electricity costs for the public as the corporation recorded a $22.5 million loss for the fiscal year ending last month.

Despite recent threats by the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union to unionise his private employees, Mr Miller said he will not bow to pressure from a privileged few who enjoy excessive benefits to the detriment of the Bahamian people.

As the government moved to legislate tripartite consultation, several parliamentarians urged unionists to consider economic realities as they negotiate with employers on behalf of members.

Mr Miller said: “The corporation is owned by the people of the Bahamas. I have nothing against labour, what I do have a problem with is someone who would go out and intentionally destroy the people’s property, disrupt the people’s services and disrupt people’s lives, simply because they can do so. That cannot be fair in a society where all of us are supposed to be equal.”

He added: “It must be a two-way street. It cannot be all for this crew and to hell with the rest of the Bahamas.”

However Mr Miller’s remarks are not sitting well with the president of the BEWU Stephano Greene, who has vowed that his union will be taking action against BEC and Mr Miller personally.

“We won’t allow anyone to trample on our rights,” Mr Greene said.

“We’ve heard the cries of workers. Our members are ready to take industrial action. We are trying to keep them calm for as long as we could because when we can’t, it’s going to be a serious problem.”

Mr Greene said he received advice from lawyers yesterday, but that he will keep that advice “under wraps for now”.

He said Mr Miller was “one bad apple” in the government, adding: “We feel we are on a plantation and we have a slave master with a whip to our backs.”

He also accused Mr Miller of engaging in a media campaign to create an unfair image of BEC workers.

National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) president Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson agreed with him and said Mr Miller should be removed from his position as executive chairman of BEC. She suggested that government leaders are afraid of him.

“Leslie Miller is constantly out of order,” she said, adding: “Someone needs to roll him in.”

“Instead of lambasting the workers of BEC, he should stand with the union,” she said. “That’s the way to go. Don’t cause industry disharmony. It reduces productivity.

“He should focus his attention on the management of the corporation, on running it more efficiently and then perhaps some of these issues could be resolved.

“The morale of the employees is not very good because of this loose cannon that we’ve got.”