By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A SIGNIFICANT number of Bahamas Power and Light employees called in sick yesterday, prompting executives to assure customers that supply would continue uninterrupted.

While it was unclear how many workers were absent, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union president Kyle Wilson said it was possible around 60 percent of the employees did not show up for work.

However, executive sources said about 50 people said they were ill.

Despite this, during a press conference yesterday BPL CEO Whitney Heastie was adamant that customers could expect supply to continue as usual.

He said: “So, for instance, we do have people that can work up to 16 hours a day. Based on the actual industrial agreement we do have contingencies such that they can take breaks and then come back, but we don’t want this to go on for days on end. So, we look for this to come to a speedy resolution so that we can move the business on in a normal way.

“However, if it doesn’t, we will continue to run this business with uninterrupted supply to our customers... a day, a week, a month, we will supply our customers.”

BPL chairman Dr Donovan Moxey said the employees’ actions were entirely up to them.

“Our focus again, as the CEO has said, is delivering service and so if employees choose to call in sick you know in unison or chorus that’s entirely up to them,” Dr Moxey said.

“At the end of the day, it’s the organisation’s obligation to whomever to deliver service, regardless of whatever we have now left within the organisation to deliver that service.”

Dr Moxey explained that after a negotiating session on Tuesday the company had made a formal offer to the union.

“The union then, based on information we found, distributed that particular offer publicly,” he claimed.

He was referring to a proposal The Tribune has seen dated July 27, 2021.

In that proposal, BPL’s executive director, Hugh Rollins, said the company was not in a position to provide increments in addition to what was already being provided to staff on an annual basis. He proposed the company and union sign a two-year industrial agreement to expire in 2023 and renegotiate a new industrial agreement upon expiration of that period.

Further provisions of the expired industrial agreement remain as is.

Additionally, all employees would receive on the date of signing the agreement one lump sum payment equal to the normal Christmas bonus and then on August 1, 2022 another payment equivalent to the Christmas bonus.

Dr Moxey pointed out that the company had yet to turn a profit. “We’re negotiating with a union who’s asking for additional benefits that will be up to $3m above and beyond what’ve already paid and so from BPL’s perspective what we’re doing here, as part of the board, as part of the new executive team is... we’re looking to right the ship with BPL,” Dr Moxey said.

“In order to do that we need to get a fiscal house in order. One can recognise that given the salary that we pay and the benefits for the last 15 years this company has yet to turn profit.

“The reality of it is this: BPL’s financial position is such that we don’t really have an extra dime to pay at all and so if it’s that we end up negotiating or agreeing to something, to be quite honest with you, any seven-figure number, we’re going to have to seek help to cover that cost.”

In a press release yesterday, the company noted: “The old IA expired in April 2018. In honour of the expired agreement, and because we care about our employees, we paid in June 2018 the annual increment and incentive bonuses totaling $511,739.

“In December 2018, we paid the annual bonus – ranging from $700 to $1,000 per employee – for a total payment of $578,200. In 2019, the total increment and incentives paid amounted to $810,540.09. In 2020, the figure was $796,667.

“With regard to Health Benefits, 70 percent of BPL employees have 100 percent of their individual health insurance paid by BPL, and 30 percent of BPL employees have 70 percent of their individual health insurance paid by the company. It is to be noted that the three percent increase in health insurance premiums last year amounted to an additional $3.36 per month for BPL employees and $7.83 paid by BPL for the individual health insurance premiums, and that the health coverage benefits for all BPL employees remained the same as a result of the increase in premiums.”