Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Executive Chairman Leslie Miller said he has instructed his attorney to take "immediate legal action" against the corporation's line staff union and its president over allegations made against him.
In a letter dated January 13 addressed to Labour Minister Shane Gibson, Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard accused Miller of signing a contract recently with a foreign company without the board's approval to maintain the engines at BEC's Clifton Pier Power Station.
Key among numerous
allegations made against Miller, Maynard said the union has learned that Miller is also a consultant for the company.
When contacted for comment, Miller said nothing could be further from the truth.
He said he was never a consultant for the company.
Miller said BEC has no contract with BWSC Denmark Power Plant.
He said the corporation has used purchase orders, a commercial document generated to acquire goods or services, since the 1990s for the company to maintain and overhaul the engines at Clifton.
"It's a purchase order, of which the board is fully aware," Miller said.
"In fact, we just approved that a few weeks ago, for BWSC to come in again, as we did summer before last, and last summer.
"They have been here since 1990 doing the work that Bahamians could do at Clifton, but won't do on a regular basis.
"That is why they are here; not because we want them here, but because we do not have a choice."
Maynard charged that while Miller has railed against overtime at the corporation, this is to "smoke screen" the issues concerning the Denmark-based company.
Maynard said BWSC has maintained engines at Clifton for $500,000 per engine.
He claimed the costs, including overtime for employees to maintain those engines, is around $150,000 per engine.
Maynard said the only way to bring down these costs is to change several outdated engines, which he said have continued to break down, to gas turbines.
Miller revealed that BEC pays BWSC $1.5 million to maintain the engines at Clifton, a cost he said is "more than value for money".
Asked how that cost compares to what BEC would have to pay employees in overtime, Miller said, "We tried our [employees] and had them do it last year and you saw the hell that we caught last summer.
"The year before we had BWSC do it. Every day our engines were anywhere from 105 to 110 megawatts. That is what we were putting out.
"Last summer, and a few weeks ago, we got down to 26 megawatts at Clifton.
"Clifton now needs to be totally rearranged and that is why BWSC is here now with a group of men."
While Miller did not provide a cost comparison, when pressed on the matter he said, "When we look at the figures of what we had to pay [employees] last summer it works out almost the same.
"...But with them [BWSC] we have a guarantee with the engines. That is the difference."
But Maynard said the union refuses to sit idly by and watch its members be "victimized by the chairman for his personal gain".
"At this point, we are now forced to do whatever it takes to secure our livelihood and to make sure bread is not taken out of any of our members' mouths," read the letter.

Overtime
Miller said the union's refusal to resolve rostering in its industrial agreement signed in December is further evidence of its "greed".
He did not sign the contract and was not present at the contract signing.
The contract provided the union with 180 days to discuss rostering before the minister will intervene.
Miller repeated that two years ago BEC was spending $12.7 million a year on overtime, where in some cases workers took home $14,000 in overtime in one month.
The repeated release of employees' salaries and personal details was also lamented in Maynard's letter to Gibson.
He claimed that several BEC employees, who have been robbed and harassed, were targeted because of that information.
"The union wishes to put you (Gibson) on notice and inform you that we have had enough of the chairman," Maynard said.
"[He] appears to want a war between himself and the union.
"Therefore, we intend to do whatever is necessary to protect our members and livelihoods."
Maynard said he is disappointed the government has allowed Miller to reveal employees' salaries after it informed the union Miller was asked to discontinue doing so.
He said it has become evident that the government has no control over Miller.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian