Since threatening a “dark and hot summer” for its tens of thousands of consumers, the line staff and managerial unions of  Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) have signed an agreement of Voluntary Separation. This became necessary as  the Board of BPL has  decided to terminate some 233 employees in an effort to right-size  the electrical company. 

Minister of Public Works, Desmond Bannister, revealed in the House of Assembly yesterday  that the unions along with BPL’s executives came to some form of agreement. 

“I’d like to advise that  both of the unions at BPL, Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU) and the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) signed an agreement with BPL to facilitate voluntary separations of the corporation,” Mr. Bannister said. 

During his contribution to the Electricity Amendment Bill yesterday, Mr. Bannister said that the agreement made would allow the employees, particularly union members the opportunity to take part in the voluntary initiative.  

“As I indicated, I want to thank those union presidents and union members, union officers who saw the importance of this to give their members the opportunity to be able to select to leave the corporation on very, very favorable terms, and we will speak about those terms at some stage. 

“This is an entirely voluntary initiative nobody is going to be forced to leave BPL but members and staff at BPL are going to have the opportunity to leave and we have to be able to fund that,” Mr. Bannister said. 

Earlier this month BEWU President, Paul Maynard, said he was optimistic that unions and BPL would work out their issues in sit down with Bahamas Power and Light executives.

It is understood that the employees will be given in most instances two years’ salary and other benefits.