By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company's (BTC) two trade unions yesterday accused the carrier of "migrating" its cell phone network to "foreign jurisdictions" with recent firings "the final straw".

The Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) and Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), in a joint statement, alleged that foreign engineers were coming in without the necessary work permits to effect the network switch while also asserting that contract workers were increasingly replacing full-time staff as part of "union-busting" tactics.

BTC told Tribune Business that it was still working on a response to the union statement at press time last night, and one will likely be forthcoming today as both the BCPMU and BCPOU sought to further raise the temperature and industrial discord seemingly marked by the disputed termination of five staff last week - three of whom they allege were unfairly blamed for a credit card/cell phone purchase scam.

Sherry Benjamin, the BCPOU's president, told Tribune Business that BTC was lacking direction and that staff are "like chickens without a head" as she pleaded with Liberty Latin America, the carrier's ultimate majority owner, and the Government, which holds the remaining 49 percent equity, to address the problems.

"If they don't intervene, you will have hundreds of employees out of a job and this company closed down before you know it," Ms Benjamin argued. "This company means too much to The Bahamas as a society for this company to close down. Whatever we need to do to get the attention of the powers that be to fix this company we will do.

"I have been asking for an organisational structure since the chief executive came in 2022. I'm still waiting on that organisational structure. If you don't know where you're going how can you direct me? I need to know where we're going so I know my part to play to help us get there.

"If I don't know where we're going how can I contribute to get us where we need to be? We're walking around like chickens without a head. Nobody knows which direction the company is going in. I don't see how the shareholders can be satisfied with the leadership in this company."

However, Valentine Grimes, BTC's vice-chairman, who heads the group of directors representing the Government on the Board, yesterday said the unions' grievances remain a matter for the management - rather than the Board and shareholders - to address.

The unions meanwhile, in their joint statement, asserted that last week's dismissals in their view are "part of a broader attempt to diminish Bahamian workers, cover up leadership failures within the organisation, and undermine full-time, unionised employees by replacing them with contractual labour".

They added: "Since Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), now Liberty Caribbean, gained control of BTC [in 2011], the company has cycled through seven chief executives. Under this unstable leadership, we have witnessed a consistent trend of outsourcing critical functions and services - including our mobile networks - to foreign jurisdictions.

"This has come at the expense of Bahamian workers and the sovereignty of our national infrastructure. Even as the executive team has grown in size and cost, employees has been steadily reduced, placing additional burdens on remaining staff.

"Foreign engineers are now being allowed to enter the country under the guise of tourism, engaging directly with BTC executives to finalise plans to migrate remaining network nodes, all without the knowledge or involvement of our local technical staff. This blatant disregard for transparency and national workforce participation is unacceptable. The recent terminations represent the final straw," the unions said.

"The unions will not stand by while our members are systematically sidelined, silenced and replaced. We call on the Government of The Bahamas to intervene immediately and put an end to the continued erosion of Bahamian jobs, national interests and the dignity of the hard-working employees at BTC."

Other concerns cited by the two unions, which represent BTC's middle management and line staff, were that "local controls have been stripped away". They added that "staff reductions and unfair dismissals are being driven by Liberty Latin America shareholders, who demand higher profits at the expense of Bahamian workers and their families.

"While profits are siphoned abroad, critical telecommunications infrastructure in The Bahamas has been left to deteriorate, compromising both service quality and national security," the two unions continued. "The executive ranks have expanded even as managers and line staff are cut, deepening inequities and worsening the workload on Bahamian employees.

"Aggressive cost-cutting has created unacceptable conditions for staff, fuelling low morale, mistrust and disrespect, while contractors are hired in a blatant attempt to weaken the Unions. Union-busting tactics of replacing permanent employees with contractors are now at an all-time high. We demand accountability. We demand transparency. We demand justice. The unions will not be silenced."

BTC, in response to the union furore over last week's termination, said it was justified in dismissing the five staff members “with cause” following what it described as a “thorough investigation”. While declining to give details on what led to the firings, it voiced confidence “in the integrity of the process”, adding that it had complied with all labour laws and the two industrial agreements.

Stephen Coakley-Wells, director of legal and government affairs, said: “BTC can confirm that, after a thorough investigation, five employees were terminated with cause. The terminated employees comprised members of both the BCPOU and the BCPMU. Both unions were aware of the issue, including the decision to terminate the employees.

“BTC wishes to emphasise that this decision was made in accordance with our established policies, the terms of our industrial agreements and in alignment with our commitment to fairness and compliance with the labour laws of The Bahamas. Due to privacy considerations and respect for all parties involved, BTC is limited in what it can share regarding the specifics of personnel matters.

“BTC values its positive and collaborative relationship with its union partners, and remains open to communication with the unions on this and any other issue affecting union members. BTC understands that situations like this can be challenging and is confident in the integrity of the process followed.”