Good morning CEO
I am very disturbed at what transpired in a meeting you had with Technician Melvin Babbs last Thursday. I took this long to write to you because I had to be sure you did, in fact do, what Mr. Babbs said you did. Mr. Babbs, a 30 plus year employee, called me on Thursday evening, very disturbed and traumatized, telling me that he was in fear of his job and you talked to him worse than a dog in addition to demoralizing him. This, Mr. Heastie, is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated while I’m the President of the union, employees told me that you were shouting and banging your hands on the desk while dressing down Mr. Babbs.
Mr. Heastie I need to remind you that this is BPL, a unionized company, not Freeport Power were you all had the union intimidated and you did what you wanted to the staff at will, I will not stand for it and let this serve as your first and very last warning. Should this happen again it won’t be pleasant for you as CEO believe me, YOU WILL NOT INTIMIDATE ME! There is a procedure that is set out in the contract when you want to reprimand an employee, I strongly recommend that you apologize in writing to him.
My second concern is Mr. Sebastian Carey, IT Director whom I understand is talking to the staff in a very derogatory fashion, you need to let him know that this is also absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In addition, as concerns Mr. Carey, staff are uneasy because they have very strong suspicions that the company’s email and phone systems are being monitored by him and I don’t need to remind you that this is against law. I’m going to dialogue with Anthony Christie, President of the Manager’s union, as to what we’re going to do about this situation as managers have the same complaint.
There seems to be mistrust with you and your consultants when it comes to BPL staff, I’ll have you know that we are professionals at this company and know how to do our jobs.
My third concern is Mr. Vernal Martinborough, Contract worker whom I understand has a current active possession of dangerous drug case pending in court system. Well I seem to remember you telling me that the company has a zero tolerance drug policy, well I’m demanding that the nine workers who were fired as a result of failing the marijuana drug urine test be returned to work with immediate effect. I reasoned then that you fired them contrary to the long established drug policy that was in place, I then made an agreement with the Government to have them returned to work and you ignored the Minister of Works and the Minister of Labour’s request that your actions as CEO was illegal. Well I can tell you now I’m taking my case to the Bahamian people because it cannot be right for you to have one policy for the low workers and one for the elite.
Mr. Heastie if things are going to improve, for the better at BPL, there is going to have to be an immediate shift in your attitude toward Mr. Christie and myself, you have to come to the realization that this is a unionized workplace and we will be respected or you’re in for a very hard ride where you will get absolutely nothing done and we will be in the press everyday complaining about you. The choice, Sir, is yours to make.
Regards.
PCM.
Paul C Maynard.
President.
Bahamas Electrical Workers Union.
