The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE UNION representing Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) line staff said yesterday it was “extremely concerned” about the potential impact its majority shareholder’s $100 million cost savings push will have on jobs, warning it would “not sit idle and let them do what they want”.

Acknowledging the Caribbean-wide restructuring Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)/LIME has undertaken, which has already resulted in an 18 per cent reduction in staff numbers over the past year, Bernard Evans, head of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), said he was seeking “meaningful dialogue” with the Government and CWC’s new chief executive, Phil Bentley over the latter’s plan for BTC going forward.

Mr Evans, who recently returned from a meeting of union presidents representing LIME workers in the Caribbean, said: “We are extremely concerned. We all have a common concern. They made statements about a $100 million reduction in operational expenses, but that $100 million, they want 70-80 per cent of that to be derived by headcount reduction.

“Since making that statement, in Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, those ares where they have full ownership of the company, they have made good on outsourcing of staff or staff reductions by outsourcing 300 employees in Jamaica, another 200 in Barbados, another 80 in Grenada and so on.

“Where they have not been able to do that yet is in the Bahamas, Panama and in Trinidad. In Trinidad, the government owns 51 per cent. They [CWC/LIME] own 49 per cent but they have management control. The government is in a position where they can veto or object to that kind of outsourcing. In Panama they own 49, the government owns 49 and the employees now own 2 per cent,” added Mr Evans.

“Make no mistake about it; their whole vision and mission over the last two years, ever since the demerger by the parent company, has been to change the relationship from a unionised workspace to a contractual one. That is their mantra. They only care about the bottom line. They held their ground in Trinidad and Panama so far, and we are asking our government to kind of give some guarantees here.”

Mr Evans said there was a “cloud of suspicion” surrounding the fate of BTC’s remaining retail outlets, given the move towards franchise stores.

“We have been told by the chief executive [Geoff Houston] that they don’t plan to have any mass outsourcing or close the remaining stores, but we can’t get anything in writing that we can hold on to,” said Mr Evans.

Back in July, Mr Houston dismissed reports of pending lay-offs at the company. Mr Evans, who said yesterday that he was looking to meet with Mr Bentley, who is reportedly in the Bahamas, told Tribune Business: “We want to have meaningful dialogue with the Government and the new head, Mr Phil Bentley, on the plan for Cable & Wireless going forward as it relates to the Bahamas.

“There will be ongoing discussion to find out what are the plans. I’m just waiting to meet with my executives to give them my feedback coming out of Barbados. We’re not going to sit idle and let them do want they want, just to recogniae the kind of bonuses they get every year. It’s not like they are not making the money.”