The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) has accepted “over 250” voluntary separation (VSEP) requests from its existing workforce, trade union leaders said yesterday.

Paul Maynard, pictured, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union’s (BEWU) president, told Tribune Business that the state-owned utility monopoly could not keep those workers it had rejected “longer than two years”.

He said there was “some concern” among staff whose VSEP applications had been rejected, but expressed hope that all issues will be “worked out in meetings” this week with BPL management.

Darnell Osborne, BPL’s chairman, could not be reached for comment before press time last night, but Mr Maynard said the voluntary separation exercise had gone “as well as could be expected” given that it was the first in the utility’s history.

Some 314 workers applied for the VSEP packages, and the union chief said: “Over 250 were accepted, I know that. The majority are from our union. The rest will get held for no longer than two years; they can’t get held off longer than that.

“BPL has to function and they kept who they need. Hopefully it will work. The guys are happy, the ones who are leaving. The ones they kept back, there’s some concerns, but that can be worked out, brought forward this week so we can iron it out.”

Friday was the deadline for BPL to decide whether to accept or reject the VSEP applications, with the utility planning to sever ties and make payouts to those it agrees with by month’s end.

Applications from personnel performing essential functions, or vital to BPL’s operations, will likely have been rejected. The utility, though, will be using the VSEPs both to cut costs by right-sizing its workforce and to freshen up its staffing by bringing in new, needed skills and altering the demographic profile in favour of younger personnel.

“This was the first time at BPL. It went as well as can be expected,” Mr Maynard said of the VSEP exercise. “There may well be some hiccups, but hopefully it will work out. The staff they kept back, hopefully it will be Ok.

“They’re going to have to bring some new people into train. That will be the next exercise. It’s a thing where you’re constantly having to train people.”

Mrs Osborne previously said the staff reduction via the VSEP will save BPL between $1-$2 million per month, or $12-$24 million per year.

“We know that we will be saving a few million every month with the reduction in staff numbers, bearing in mind we have 1,100 staff. For each month that we have the reduced number we would save approximately $1-$2 million per month,” Mrs Osborne said.

“Bear in mind we have to look at the exact number of persons released, and when we do we realise all of the benefits and pensions. Any employees we retain, we bring them back for a certain number of months so we reduce the cost to the company.”