Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard yesterday stated that Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) workers would likely be spared a "massive disengagement exercise" as the utility provider prepares pending management partner PowerSecure International to take hold of the reigns at BEC.

Speaking with Guardian Business, Maynard suggested that while downsizing is likely, the union was awaiting PowerSecure's response to a suite of union suggestions promoting outsourcing opportunities for any future terminated BEC workers. However, Maynard did not wish to speculate on which departments at BEC would be downsized, stating that redundancy figures had not been discussed with the BEWU.

"We brought some ideas to the table that we'd like to see happen that would be a win-win for the employees who will take the retirement package. We want to outsource stuff back to them so if they leave the next day they're going to a new job - they're in business.

"Employees can get into a business. They've been doing it all their life, so now they can own what they're doing," said Maynard, adding that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) had undertaken similar outsourcing of several functions, including trenching work and laying cables.

Maynard argued that there are "opportunities to be embraced" through outsourcing for any terminated workers designed to keep former BEC employees engaged in the field albeit in a self-employed nature. Yet Maynard did not go into detail about what exactly the union proposed to PowerSecure in terms of any possible arrangements or opportunities for redundant workers.

Furthermore, Maynard said that PowerSecure had not yet responded to the union's suggestions, which were submitted roughly three weeks ago.

Despite discussions with Prime Minister Perry Christie and Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, Maynard revealed that the BEWU had yet to sit down and hammer out the details of its agreements with PowerSecure, while the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU) is expected to sign their industrial agreement with PowerSecure this week.

"[Christie and Davis] have a big problem with layoffs, especially at this time. They've told us that anybody taking a package has to be justified... So it's not going to be the massive disengagement exercise that BTC had years back because the PM and the DPM are not going to entertain it that way - they've made that clear to us," Maynard said.

PowerSecure was due to present a full business plan to Cabinet last month under a 60-day timeframe following the signing a transitional services agreement between the U.S. energy firm and the Bahamian government. At the time of the deadline, PowerSecure representatives told Guardian Business that the company had submitted a draft business plan to BEC's transitional committee and would incorporate feedback into a finalized plan for Cabinet. The Christie administration, however, has remained silent on the transition's progress since the business plan deadline slipped by in late September.

Despite the delays, Maynard remained confident that the new managers would be in place by the end of 2015, despite the infrastructural setbacks caused by Hurricane Joaquin earlier this month. PowerSecure has sent aid along with technical support teams to assist in hurricane relief efforts.

"We're on the government's pace. You've got a situation down in the southern Bahamas that happened almost a month ago with the hurricane, so I'm guessing that that's throwing a monkey wrench into the situation," said Maynard.

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