Unions want to renegotiate severance packages for Broadcasting Corporation employees, calling current government offer, “weak and unacceptable.”
Bernard Evans, president of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), threatend industrial action if government does not renegotiate the terms of its proposed severance packages for Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) employees who will be affected by the company’s downsizing.
Evans wants the packages renegotiated before the terminations are carried out at the end of this month. The list of those employees to be made redundant could be revealed tomorrow.
Mr Evans says his union, as well as the Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union (BCPMU), find the government’s offer “weak and unacceptable.” They want the severance packages to meet or exceed the packages given to Customs and Immigration workers during recent layoffs in those departments.
Most members of the public are outraged by that suggestion, as there was widespread public disapproval of the severance packages for Customs and Immigration. The majority of those let go were laid off because they were corrupt or horribly inefficient. Many people thought it foolish to reward bad behaviour by giving overly-generous severance packages.
The government’s “sweetener” offer to BCB employees include the severance terms cited under the industrial agreement, with an additional three months remuneration.
The unions say that is not enough. They want the employees, who are known for money-losing poorly produced programming, to be rewarded for their inefficiency upon their termination.
BCB employees are considering marching from BCB headquarters to the Cabinet Office this morning to protest the separation process.
