The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) managerial union said yesterday that its restructuring was “quite slow”, and expressed doubts that PowerSecure would complete its business plan in time.

Clinton Minnis, the Bahamas Electrical Manager’s Union (BEMU) president, said the union had not been in contact with PowerSecure on its plans for BEC going forward.

PowerSecure was selected as the management partner for BEC in May. It signed a $900,000 transition services agreement with the Government on July 22, and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said at the time that the Carolinas-based firm would finalise its business plan over the next 60 days.

However, Mr Minnis said yesterday the union was doubtful that the company would meet that deadline, given the lack of consultation with both the BEMU and the line-staff union, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU).

“The reform at BEC, in the union’s opinion, is moving quite slow,” Mr Minnis said. “We believe that if the stakeholders, the unions, are not involved in this process it spells trouble for BEC.

“We don’t anticipate that PowerSecure will complete its business plan in the two-month period it has been given to come up with a legitimate and strategic business plan, with the deadline being September 22.

“If you are not consulting with the stakeholders, and if we do not understand what goes into to the prices to support the business plan, if we are not hearing anything, we are not sure about the possibility of it being completed in the two-month period they are being paid for.”

Mr Minnis added: “The Deputy Prime Minister indicated that both unions would be a part of the subcommittee that would be consulted as the business plan is being prepared. We have not been consulted.

“We are not prepared to go to them and make any proposal as to what we think. They are being paid to do a job and consult with us, and then we will put our position forward; that is the right way to do business. We are not going to shoot ourselves in the foot. I’m not giving any one any information to kill me.”

Mr Minnis said that the union, like the public, was waiting to learn who the members of BEC’s new board would be. “If we do not have the terms of reference between the Government and PowerSecure, we won’t know what kind of cooperation the union needs to provide,” he added.

“We have asked for the terms of reference between the transition committee that the Government has appointed. We are waiting, like the general public, to know the new Board’s appointment and management, so as to know the vested authorities and how to direct our communications going forward.

“These issues will satisfy the BEMU and the line-staff union that the expectations are being met, and the changes that may impact the cost of living and doing business are moving ahead, and moving ahead in good faith. We are concerned that this process is not adding up to what it should be in a timely manner.”