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Sir Roy Trotman - General Secretary of BWU
Sir Roy Trotman – General Secretary of BWU

We intended to advise the BU family of the good work which BU family members ROK, Chris Halsall et al continue to do on behalf of the people of Barbados. In light of the recent news concerning the severing of 116 employees from LIME how could we not add a few words about our favourite company.

The Fair Trading Commission recently announced the list of 10 Intervenors who have complied  with the requirements under the Procedural Rules and have been granted intervenor status to participate in the review of electricity rates to commence on 7 October 2009 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. At the top of the list is Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (BANGO).

Although the the rate review is scheduled for 7 October 2009 several procedural matters start from August 7, the Intervenors will be kept busy doing the people’s work. We take this opportunity to thank the 10 civic minded Intervenors.

Sadly the re-emergence in the news of LIME, formerly Cable & Wireless sending home 116 employees at the height of a recession again brings into sharp focus the role of the FTC. Rulings by the FTC in the recent past has seen C&W which has a monopoly of fixed-lines in Barbados generating huge profits. Despite a good bottom-line over the years C&W formerly LIME has been relentless in sending home rank and file Barbadians while the executives continue to rake in some of the highest salaries in the Southern Caribbean  along with bonus payments.

Union Boss Sir Roy has bleated to the media that he has given an ultimatum to LIME to withdraw a letter sent to the employees.  In his opinion LIME has violated the terms and spirit of Protocol V which has been sanctioned by the Social Partnership.

Is there an echo in the house? Have we not heard Sir Roy issuing an ultimatum to the Sandy Lane/Royal Shop people before? Did something happen?

In our opinion three issues burn brightly:

  1. Union: The Barbados Workers Union has shown a weakness to date when negotiating with LIME. Remember the closure of the Contact Centre which was not suppose to happen?
  2. Profit: While shareholders want to protect profits where is the corporate responsibility? Barbados is a market which has served C&W well over the years and continues to do so. What are the C&W board members thinking? Are they on the board to only rubber stamp the decisions made in London?
  3. Employees: Lastly, how can the relevant players ignore the inhumane treatment meted out to the severed employees. Employees were informed of their departure in the most insensitive of ways.

If there is a Protocol V which guides the industrial policy for Barbados why is there such ambiguity regarding its interpretation?

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  1. David Avatar
    David

    @Terence

    The use of Skype and Magic Jack are becoming increasingly popular in Barbados.

    On another note Trevor Clarke the former head of C&W in Barbados seems to have landed a nice job in Geneva under the last administration. It is useful to note the Head of HOUR was a close friend of former PM Arthur. It is the way we do business in BIM.

  2. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @Terence M. Blackett // August 9, 2009 at 6:37 am
    “Sorry guys – I had to rant because I am just so pissed off…But I am not the only one!!!”[I’m tempted to say “Let it out, man.” I take what you say without knowing if it is all correct, on the basis that this is just a microcosm of what goes on between ‘business’ and ‘politics’. Barbados is a particular example, and the debate about division of economic and political power has its reconnection in the telecom arena as it does in tourism or other major aspects of the economy. So, you have to ask and try to answer, why ‘political representatives’ did not appear to get the best for the country, and do not appear to be able to get the best for the country.

    In the telecom area, at the margin, initially, people will ‘disconnect’ if they can (Skype, Magic Jack, foreign phone service providers, satellite connections, etc) and we see this in many areas. Africa is perhaps very instructive given that many countries have jumped over certain developments. For instance, my office in Guinea was served by my own office satellite dish for international telecom, and that was the way most enterprises/organizations were going. You hooked up locally if you had no choice. With competition more evident later for mobile phones, that still did not diminish the desire for cheaper (over time), surer connections by satellite (or cable). Some organizations have the muscle to be totally free standing, eg major mining companies, certain international businesses and organizations, major embassies. Eventually, the weight of evidence makes things change. The major provider now could easily become a provider to only a choiceless few. But again, it would be the rich what gets the pleasure and the poor who get the pain.

  3. Terence M. Blackett Avatar
    Terence M. Blackett

    I was recently given a “last warning” by BARBADOS FREE PRESS for the subliminal notations and inferences which could so easily be misconstrued and borders on illegality by seeking to engender, and/or incite to raise public passions to create anarchy, revolution or insurrection.

    LMAO…

    As a Baje*, a Brit and a US resident (damn, I need to work for the UN) – I am fundamentally aware of the signed Patriot Act of George “Dubyuh ” Bush. Equally, I am all too aware of the Hate Laws & Terrorists Legislation enacted in parliament here in the UK by our beleaguered and hardly standing on two feet Gordon Brown…

    I don’t believe as an academic, scholar, writer,entrepreneur, visionary and futurist (Damn*, can a Black man claim all those titles) – that I stand to gain anything from the dissimulation, disintegration and dilapidation of Barbadian society, its infrastructure or its long cherished ideals of parliamentary democracy which we all hold so dear (thank God, we ain’t in Zimbabwe).

    I may never live in Barbados again (for only God knows) but one thing is sure – I want my two daughters and grandson to be able to enjoy what my foreparents enjoyed since the 1700’s…

    You see for most folks who cannot for one reason or the other plot the genealogical graph of their common ancestry – I have a formidable family tree (thanks to Professor Blackett – McGill University Canada) that stretches all the way back to West Africa, to Scotland, to Portugal and to that part of my Jewish roots …

    So for BFP and others to suggest that my literary and punctilious discourse borders or hedges on subversive is frankly invidious to say the least…

    Just reading BU (which I believe is one of the most awesome portals for free expression anywhere on the “net”) one gets the feeling that the silent, ruminating discontent within Bajan society and in many quarters of the world will one day erupt and mushroom into a “toxic cloud” of sulfurous bedlam ( making South East Los Angeles look like a playground).

    In any police state where “Big Bruv” is the eye in the sky and many politicians and leaders feel a degree of comfort in knowing that they will have a handle on things if everything does go “helter-skelter” – sadly are deluded…

    Somethings are inevitable if not addressed swiftly. That’s especially true of public policy that refuses to place the needs of the least privileged in society before P.R.O.F.I.T.S, “fat cats” and “lords ‘a’ leapin” whose only concerns is their caviar and Mouton Rothschild 1984.

    We may not appreciate the facetious nature of the litanous rant but “it is, what it is”…

  4. David Avatar
    David

    From interacting with some of the ‘Intervenors’ we get the impression they are treated less than in a professional way by the FTC. This maybe verified if they wish by BU family members who function as Intervenors. We wonder if LIME executives suffer any maltreatment from FTC staff?

    Here is a little exercise we would like ROK, Chris et al to carry out.

    Has anyone of the Intervenors been invited to a LIME Box at the several activities they sponsor, given complimentary phones/blackberries, invited to golf tournaments, let’s not forget the cocktail parties at Sandy Lane.

    When you finish the exercise can you do a similar one for FTC staff and government officials?

  5. Christopher Halsall Avatar
    Christopher Halsall

    @BU.David: “Has anyone of the Intervenors been invited to a LIME Box at the several activities they sponsor, given complimentary phones/blackberries, invited to golf tournaments, let’s not forget the cocktail parties at Sandy Lane.

    LOL David…

    The only “invitation” I’ve ever received from LIME was to spend several thousand dollars to hire a lawyer to respond to a threatened lawsuit for my “A funny thing happened on the way to the competition” article….

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @Chris

    Don’t think we have said it before but we always recommend your article to get an understanding regarding telecom matters in Barbados. It is a pity the local media has not shown the guts to run with this issue but then Vic Fernandes is always boasting of his LIME Blackbery.

  7. Christopher Halsall Avatar
    Christopher Halsall

    Thanks David.

    And if I may point to another article, written last year and also published in the Barbados Advocate, speaking about Calling Cards AKA Two Stage Dialing.

    This issue is tightly related to the Reference Interconnection Offer Review currently (finally) underway by the FTC. It will be very interesting to see the results of that exercise….

  8. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    “…….while UDC was in the process of laying off over 20 workers. Meanwhile, new director of the UDC, Derek Alleyne, confirmed yesterday that the commission was sending home staff. He said the UDC was restructuring and had created new posts.”

    Sunday Sun 8/9/2009
    ____________________________

    I am sure LIME’s raison d’etre was/is RESTRUCTURING as well.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    The BWU continues to confuse us. Is it true nearly 100 of the 116 employees have accepted the package offered? If so what is the BWU’s beef?

  10. First Lady Avatar
    First Lady

    The people have not accepted , they turned up for work as usual and were told to report to the HR dept were letters were issued ….. Since the union’s intervention the letters have been retracted . However the list has already been complied, workers have already been targeted so when the union is finished with there efforts , they understand they will still have to go .Some workers have opted to returned while negoiations are ongoing , while others have chosen to leave with immediate effect.

    80 something were giving letters , the rest were either on vacation , maternity leave or sick leave …. were suppose to receive them on there return.

  11. General Lee Avatar
    General Lee

    David, how long have you had ” Boycott Lime” in your sidebar?

    How many people have switch providers or cancelled services?

    We have apparently not learnt anything from the call centre fiasco. Lime, as long as it has the support of the Government and people of Barbados, will continue to do as it please .

    When will Bajan consumers ever boycott or protest anything that requires a personal sacrifice or commitment on their part?

    The Unions, LIME, Merchants and Politicians are aware of this. They will continue to exploit this behaviour as they see fit.

    I can only recall one period of widespread protest action taking place in Barbados, in the recent past, and it was instigated by the Unions.
    Now we have social partnerships and the FTC.

    I guess we like it so. 🙁

  12. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    General Lee, I don’t mind saying that I find somethings pure foolishness, see http://livinginbarbados.blogspot.com/2009/08/loiy-rhoiymes-with-poiy.html.

    “When will Bajan consumers ever boycott or protest anything that requires a personal sacrifice or commitment on their part?” [SUCH A GOOD QUESTION. Take a look at how one of your alleged country men reacted to questions about what he did when he saw a mugging:
    +++++++++
    @Bimbro
    Saw a mugging: Did you try to intervene? Did you call the police? Did you get descriptions? Did you seek to help the victim(s) after? Just trying to get an idea of how people (you, in this case) see their role in changing things.
    ************
    LIB, guess what, surprise, surprise, I did n’t want to get mugged too! Now, with ur simple frame of mind, I bet that surprised u, did n’t it!! It would n’t surprise anybody else on this blog!! – especially, noting I was n’t Jamaican like them – thank god!! I daily thank the merciful for that good fortune he bestow on me!!
    +++++++
    Not a simple thought of personal sacrifice. We are often asked the hypothetical question “What would you do to save another person’s life?” Here is one clear “Do nothing” reply. So, don’t go looking for heroes.

  13. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @LIB
    “Take a look at how one of your alleged country men reacted to questions about what he did when he saw a mugging…”

    Man that is unfair. Worst example of a man who runs from he-self. What about me as an example? LOL! I can’t help it if I know very few examples but get the best example.

  14. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @ROK
    Why unfair. The man said what he said. The commentator asked about willingness for self sacrifice, albeit over telephone services.

    I have a record and it is on the Metropolitian Police records. I did intervene with an attacker. I was not killed. I did call the police. The attacked person was taken to hospital. The person was arrested. He went to court and was sentenced. No. I did not stand and watch. I take heed from the Good Samaritan story and just hope that if I am ever a victim someone will come to my aid. Pretty simple.

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @ROK

    Touche!

  16. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @LIB

    I was referring to the weak example of a Bimbro. Fellas like Bimbro are traitors. Oh shoot! You going ask me how much of them they are. Well, we need to do a survey, LOL!

  17. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @ ROK // August 12, 2009 at 9:38 AM
    “@LIB. I was referring to the weak example of a Bimbro. Fellas like Bimbro are traitors. Oh shoot! You going ask me how much of them they are.”[I can accept that answer. I do not know if Bimbro can. I felt comfortable standing where I was.]

  18. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @LIB

    “did intervene with an attacker. I was not killed. I did call the police.”

    You remind me of an announcer we had interviewing some fishermen. He asked one fisherman if anything scary ever happened to him, “For example, have you ever drowned?”

    LOL!

  19. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @ROK
    We are dealing with acts, not theory. Two people were in similar situations. Each chose to act differently. As I said, Bimbro said NOT ONE WORD about the victim. I rest.

  20. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @General Lee: your comment was published. Thanks.

  21. General Lee Avatar
    General Lee

    Yes, but in this case people pay their leaders to represent them. They are not looking for heroes, but competent and effective representation.

    The employers need to take action against these unproductive employees, whether Union leader or Politician, they are drawing money under false pretense.

  22. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @LIB

    I am just horsing around with you LIB. I really can’t criticise or fault you. As a matter of fact, I know only too well what you are saying.

  23. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @ROK, horsing around is fine and can be fun, but we need to baddress reality at some stage, no matter how discomforting. Looking for Bajans to give guavas. Dodging rain.

  24. Leff me out Avatar
    Leff me out

    @ All

    All this talk about LIME closing departments that are not profitable is a whole bunch of BS. There are staff in every depeartment at LIME who have been sent home. Including the mobile outlets which are dreadfully understaffed, the top workers in the IT department and the entire Regional Network Monitoring Centre, where the company recently spent one billion dollars in new equipment and had a grand opening on CBC just 2 years prior. The integral finance department is also being closed in December.
    Simply put, just as in the case of the Regional Contact Centre, they are sending the Jobs to Jamaica, where has NO customer base, but labour costs are much much cheaper.

    While the bulk of the money being made comes from the backs of Barbadians, LIME continues the systematically ravage the Barbadian economy while sending jobs to territories that bring in Little to NO money for them.

  25. livinginbarbados Avatar
    livinginbarbados

    @Leff etc
    Your comments about lower labour costs touches an issues on which I was having dicussions yesterday. I put the simple point here. If Barbados rose to its economic position with the labour cost structure it had, could it maintain that position in recessionary times without changing that structure? My initial reaction was “no”. My additional question was, if Barbados attained its position largely by a series of accidents/good fortune, then how could it maintain its position if these were no longer present? My third question was, if labour has/been made aware that it is a drag on compnay performance(s) and options were to be discussed on how to deal with that, where are those discussions? These are general economy questions. My basic thesis is to think about the underpinnings of the economy and whether they have fallen away. If the answer is yes, then the question is how far will it fall. It’s thinking in progress.

  26. 119 Avatar
    119

    @Leff me out

    What do you expect? C&W Barbados ONLY made $66 million in profit last year.

  27. Leff me out Avatar
    Leff me out

    @ 119 that is true! I can’t expect any different

    Besides, the CEO who headed up a change to LIME has taken his millions in bonus and left

  28. A-Fish Avatar
    A-Fish

    @Leff me out: you mean Richard Dodd?

  29. Leff me out Avatar
    Leff me out

    Yes Mr. Dodd. I suggest that when LIME is sending home the 150 workers in August they could send home the whole host of white English people that they have working down at Cedar Court in Wildey, for thousands in US per month. Or maybe Thompson should target these illegal workers and leave the Guyanese alone.

  30. reborndolls Avatar
    reborndolls

    your comment was published. Thanks………!

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