Berkeley Institute Board On Support Staff Cuts
The Board of Governors of The Berkeley Institute released a statement today [Aug.17] is response to reports they will be laying off staff. The BPSU said that approximately eight support staff at Berkeley Institute will be laid off, with the staff that is expected to be impacted working in a custodial, maintenance, and secretarial capacities.
The statement said they “continue to actively consider cost cutting measures to achieve greater savings in accordance with its reduced operating budget for fiscal year 2011/12.”
“All should be reminded that the school’s operating (capitation) budget allocation was cut by approximately 22% which translates to $1.4m.”
Chairman of the Board, Craig Bridgewater said: “It is important to note that in accordance with our discussions with the Bermuda Public Services Union (BPSU) that a number of measures are being considered and that no final decisions have been made.”
“Our primary objective is to ensure the delivery of the highest standard of education for our student body and we will not compromise or cut corners in this area.”
Mr. Bridgewater continued: “I take this opportunity to express my disappointment with the fact that the BPSU saw fit to make the details of our private and confidential consultation public.”
“Any discussion that might alter the working conditions of our staff is a sensitive matter which requires much deliberation and the actions of the BPSU at this time are unfortunate.”
“The Board of Governors is expected to make a final decision with respect to additional cost cutting measures prior to the beginning of the next school year,” said the statement.
I am sick and tired of budget cuts that affect our children and seniors – why in Bermuda won’t the selfish MP’s along with the Premier take salary cuts and I don’t mean 1.5 percent to enable our Schools and other necessary services to survive. They all own their own homes, have other jobs or great shares in companies, need I go on. GREED GREED GREED – seems they need to be reminded of the ole saying “Greedy killed Puffy” – hmmmmmm!!!
There should be NO cuts at any schools – until all the chaff is threshed out of the bloated Department of Education. The DoE are their own worst enemy.
BTW, Ministers refusing to take pay cuts, while the rest of us suffer, will be remembered at the polls.
The PLP complain that they have to cut this budget, cut that budget, and that we are living in tough times, blah blah blah.. Yet her highness travels around in a 7 Series BMW worth well over $100,000. What about that massive expense in buying all the Mininsters new cars? ARROGANCE !!!
I remember former (UBP) Premiers (and current opposition members) getting around on their rusty old bikes. They did their jobs just fine (better actually). And why, because they didnt need the flash and extravagance to detract from their incompetencies. They didnt need to inflate their egos with taxpayer dollar. Get over yourselves, you’re not that great, and sell those cars now and put that money where it is desperately needed.
This school disserved the cuts because they are hiding a lot of things from the public.
Take this for example: “Mr. Bridgewater continued: “I take this opportunity to express my disappointment with the fact that the BPSU saw fit to make the details of our private and confidential consultation public.”” of course it should be made public, Berkeley is a public school so why shouldn’t the info be made public?? That damn board been pocketing money for quite some time now anyway. And if people would really read the article instead of just the headlines you will see that the only people to be cut out are, and I quote, “The BPSU said that approximately eight support staff at Berkeley Institute will be laid off, with the staff that is expected to be impacted working in a custodial, maintenance, and secretarial capacities.” Only support staff, as we all must admit, those of us that know of course, they have just too much! Then I guess its the boards way of making cuts to everyone else, but keeping the main cash in their pockets still.
Another thing, why not get rid of the Berkeley board anyway???? What purpose do they serve again…someone remind me please.
They are Bermudian support staff – Library Staff/Custodial – don’t matter unless of course you own a business and have hired overseas staff – you can give a few of these persons jobs.
Only support staff, as we all must admit, those of us that know of course, they have just too much! – you should take this line to Premier Cox for her staff (Consultants).
You can never have enough support staff in schools for you have so many students with different needs (para-professionals and so on) and with the large facility at Berkeley – who is going to have double up on someone elses job without a pay increase – or are you going to volunteer your services.
Speak up and out for Bermudians to keep their jobs – even if it is with pay freezes then it is up to these folk to be good stewards.
Hard to accept these redundancies particularly after:
1. The contract to build the mega school was given to unqualified/ inexperienced friends and fam. The fact that it was built at all is criminal.
2. The insanely inept mis-management of that construction project, to include massive / outrageous cost overruns..
3. The BIU being allowed to walk away from the 5 mill performance bond as if it was just a casual deal / arrangement between pals..Oh, wait, it was!!
4. All of the above
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Your right, in some ways. I actually made a mistake when I said only support staff have too much, I meant to say the board has too much. Got a bit carried away with my tyoing actually. I was really trying to imply that the board is has too much and they should cut their own pockets first. I can see from re-reading it how I must have came off on that part. My bad.
I agree with Mr. Bridgewater’s statement. The BPSU should not have misled the public by stating final decisions had been made! What a way for staff to find out they might be without a job forth upcoming year. The Board met with the BPSU as a matter of courtesy, they did not have to advise the Union of any proposed cuts. They were attempting to work with the Union as best they could and in it’s typical incompetent, scare-mongering ways, the Union went to the press with a convoluted, over-exaggerated story! These Unions are going to be the damnation of this Island!
Really and how’s your government working for you???
The Board met with the Union as a matter of courtesy.. WTF is that?? EIGHT human beings/ people with families / people with bills/ Human beings with children to school and care for/ people that need health care/ people that need to pay rents and or mortgages were dismissed. They were dismissed by the BOARD ( aboard selected by PLP types ) and not the UNION!!!!!!
The fact that they heard or might have heard about their demise via the press is indeed unfortunate, however the most damaging aspect of this matter is the fact that they will be unemployed very shortly.
They will be unemployed because the PLP not the BPSU mismanaged hundreds of millions of dollars, starting with the shameful mismanagement of the bulding of that very same school.Therefore, blaming the Unions for the nauseating manner in which this govt have spent OUR money is an amateur attempt at camouflage..The damnation of this country lies squarely at the feet of the good Doc & the ‘ See no Evil’ Cog.. …
They have NOT been dismissed!!!
Made redundant–dismissed–fired–let go etc etc…who cares what label is attached, they no longer have a job at BI !!!!!!!!
@ Ignorance is bliss :
Okay. let’s see, they were released, they were sent away, they were discharged or wait, maybe they were dismissed..
Ignorance is also stupidity!!!!
you obviously don’t have need for a union because your job is safe.
As an aside, how about placing the blame where it needs to be placed: squarely in the lap of the Government for cutting costs in schools! I appreciate the cost-saving measures, however the our education system should have been left alone. How do they expect the schools to run efficiently and effectively with all these cuts??? The schools are having a he’ll of a time coping with things without the funds being cut!
We are in a recession and most people realise that their job could be affected. However, when employers are dealing with redundancy/firing people they can still treat staff with dignity! Nobody is “safe” during these times but everyone deserves RESPECT!
Maybe some of the unemployed parents could go help the schools and give them the extra bodies they need during these bad economic times. Parents used to volunteer to help the teachers with their classes for reading and even recess coverage and lunch. If I was free I would help cause its important that our children receive the best education possible even in these bad times.
Maybe parents should attend classes as it would be a complete EYE OPENER to most people. The average person probably has no idea what is going on in some classrooms! I can only imagine what teachers and school staff are challenged with these days!
And your point is what?
I believe the point is that once parents see what really goes on in the classrooms maybe they’ll make a little more noise on behalf of those losing their jobs who actually have a passion and a positive repore with these kids instead of just complaining amongst themselves about what’s not being done and about jobs being cut.
Why doesn’t the Government simply reduce the overall work week for non-critical employees (i.e most) by 10-15% so the aggregate payroll expense is reduced by a commensurate amount thereby saving jobs and reducing the inevitable current accounting year deficit (because we all know the PLP Government is already behind on their 2011-12 revenue estimates so will shortly be increasing the debt burden (yet again) to cover this year’s operating loss)?