BEC union renews demands for Leslie Miller's firing

Tue, Jul 15th 2014, 04:47 PM

Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard yesterday called on Prime Minister Perry Christie to either fire Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Executive Chairman Leslie Miller, or ask him to resign over allegations of interference in BEC's disconnection process.
"I am not playing politics at this point," said Maynard, who previously called for Miller to be fired.
"I do not have time for that. I've said what I said and we leave it to them. It is too much interference.
"You have got to be able to do the job you are paid to do without interference."
Miller, who has been railing against BEC employees who he claimed allowed the corporation's delinquent accounts to mount by giving "breaks to their friends", was accused by a manager in a report obtained by The Nassau Guardian of cherry-picking whose power is disconnected.
The BEC report reveals that as of July 8, 2014 the corporation's managers would not take action to disconnect Jones Communications' supply, as the disconnection of the supply in May resulted in Miller immediately instructing officials to reconnect the supply.
As reported in yesterday's Nassau Guardian, as of July 8, Jones Communications Ltd. owed the corporation $106,007.56 collectively on its three accounts registered with BEC, according to a disconnection notice.
The manager said it appears disconnection exercises are a "waste of time".
Maynard said he previously asked the executive chairman to "cease and desist" from interfering with employees carrying out their duties, but to no avail.
He said that if the employees at the corporation were allowed to do their jobs, BEC would be on better financial footing.
"This is something that has been going on now for a year and a half, that I know about," he said.
"I have said since I was president that if the staff was allowed to do the job, BEC would be fine, and who is supposed to be off would be off."
In the July 8 report, another manager advised the senior manager that the credit and collections department was processing the disconnection work orders for Jones Communications.
In response, the senior manager said successive attempts to disconnect the account were unsuccessful as "my people were turned away by the chairman".
After it was recently revealed that Miller's family-owned businesses owed nearly a quarter of a million dollars, Miller said because some businesses employ dozens of Bahamians, the corporation prefers to work with them, rather than disconnect their supplies.
Maynard asked who is instructing officials to reconnect the power supplies of single mothers whose power is off.
"Who looks out for them?" he asked. "Where do they get breaks from?
"I keep telling you, I am the real 'potcake'. I am looking out for the small man."
In the report, the manager also advised that a disconnection list be sent to Miller so that he could approve which customers he feels should be disconnected.
Maynard said he agreed with the manager.
"You tell us who to disconnect and then we'll go out and do it," he said.
"It saves my membership from getting cursed out and having problems with that.
"And it saves me from getting into problems with him.
"I will not continue to tolerate him talking derogatory to the staff. I will not continue that."
Maynard also questioned how Jones' bill was allowed to accumulate to over $100,000.
Miller has not returned repeated calls from The Guardian since Sunday afternoon.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

 Sponsored Ads