BIU President: Members “Officially Reject” Offer
This afternoon [Apr.8] Bermuda Industrial Union President Chris Furbert spoke with the media, and said that the BIU membership had “officially rejected” Government’s most recent pay proposal.
He did, however, say that the membership was “extremely concerned about the current economic climate and want to do what that they can to help.”
The proposal sent the the workers yesterday contained two items; Government asked that ’blue collar’ workers take a wage freeze, as well as work overtime for straight time pay.
The audio of Mr Furbert’s statement is below:
Mr Furbert said the members asked “if the MPs have taken a cut in salary,” and said they suggested that since they are being asked to sacrifice so “they should do it from the top down.” Mr Furbert acknowledged that MPs have technically had a pay freeze, as their salaries have not gone up in for three years.
He pointed out that even when wages are frozen, costs for general living expenses continue to go up. He said it seems that only a certain segment is asked to sacrifice.
Mr Furbert said if BELCO, the insurance companies and the supermarkets could work with them that would be ideal. He said asking working class people to take a pay freeze when other prices continue to go up is extremely unfair.
He said that asking workers to take a wage freeze in addition to asking them to work overtime for straight time pay creates a double issue.
Reflecting his member’s views as they were expressed over what he called a 3.5 hour session during which the membership inside St Paul’s Centennial Hall gave full vent to their feelings; Mr Furbert said that it would help if other Government staffers took a 5% pay reduction, and also spoke extensively on the Payroll Tax rollback.
So basically it means acording to Mr. Furbert, working class people (majority Black) are fed up with Government workers (majority Black) and the Government that bailed them out (union) …….
But the BIU represents so many workers (black) and Government is comprised of (mostly black)
And Front Street is like near the Harbour that……………………
I need a rum.
Terry Bermuda is majority black. So your point? And trust me, rum is not what you need. The union was not bailed out. BIU represents all workers, no matter race and/or nationality.
The union was absolutely bailed out. The Government (i.e. taxpayers) forgave their $7m+ performance bond liability.
Forgiveness is not a Bail Out. If Government paid the Bond Liability then that would’ve been a bail out. So once again BIU was not bailed out.
If someone owes you money and you tell them its OK not to pay – that’s a bail out. Plain & simple. We all bailed out the BIU actually.
Yes it is. The BIU was paid a premium of $750k in exchange for agreeing to put up $7m+ if the bond was called. The bond was called and the union didn’t pay. Rather than force the Union to liquidate their balance sheet to recover the funds (plus interest and costs which escalated the obligation almost twofold) the Government forgave the obligation/debt.
The Union was absolutely bailed out by the taxpayers. If you paid BF&M or Colonial Insurance $7.5k for property and contents coverage only to have a hurricane completely destroy your home would you then turn around and say to the same insurer: “No worries, I’ll take care of it. You can keep my premium and the $700k insured loss”? Didn’t think so, unless you were either crazy or had an undisclosed Vested interest in ensuring the insurance company wasn’t adversely affected by a potential claim.
Another interesting discussion/observation would be to ask where that $750k ended up and why, after the Union failed to meet it’s legally bound contractual obligation, the premium was never returned.
We can agree to disagree on the definition of a “Bailout” but I really would like to know where the $750k went but also ask who was in charge of at BIU at the time?
Just like the bus driver strike, the Govt will back down again to save votes.
Maybe Mr Furbert should be invited to the Royal Wedding, he seems to be the leader of this country at the moment.
C’mon Cog show us that testicular fortitude you like talking about so much!
A person with a base salary of $186.000 plus a free car, credit cards which are NOT checked, works their own hours, along with other perks is better positioned to withstand a wage freeze than one with a say $50.000 salary!
A real no brainer!
Rocky The Rock Fish………………Tell that to Bootsie……………
Well said…….
And in a sign of good faith chris has offered to cut the salaries of the BIU executive and publish the last ten years of audited accounts ….
In your dreams ….
I am calling on all real BERMUDIAN to make a stand and speak out, we can not take
this anymore!! we have lost so much and our voice will not be heard till we take back the country, the crook’s are stealing our way of life, we our being told that
we need ex-pats here to run this country I say bull-crap. they say bermuda service
is bad I say because ex-pats are doing the job and do not care just here for the money!! what we need is not UBP,PLP,or anyone else we need to come together as Bermudian’s, just look around and see who is working its not Bermuian’s its EX-PATS
that just bad mouth Bermudian’s to stay here! and thats how it works.
I Really Love MY COUNTRY so please let me know when you are ready for Change!!!!!
Conchy……..Yah haid two much kurry chielllll…………….Seriously…….Make some Lemonade and not Lemming Aid…
Hey Terry,
you have no back bone! you are Bermudian
De Conch
A good pay cut percentage for the government members would be 15% @ least
What about 15% for Bank of Butterfield, AS Coopers, Butterfield and Vallis, Dunkleys…….et al………
These blue collar workers should be glad they still have a fattin job and should accept the no raise no o/t deal. They are ignorant if they think otherwise. Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Ignorance beyond ignorance.
If this was the private sector many of them would already have lost their jobs. Stupid Government workers and their equally idiotic union think they can squeeze money where there is none. You don’t accept this deal – some of you will lose your jobs. You are BEYOND IGNORANT!
You voted for the lying cheating PLP and this is what you get. You ignorant stupid fools all of you. Stupid Bermudians at their STUPIDEST!!!!
A textbook example of what happens when a government that doesn’t have a clue is blindly supported by voters of equal intelligence.
I’m actually embarrassed for you . These remarks are crass and rooted in absoulute ignorance ,and you call yourself a Bermudian , I don’t think so .
These so called blue collar workers are the backbone of this country ,I for one really appreciate the fact that with their dedication and resilience ,Trash is collected from outside my door ,rain , blow or shine ,You can depend on it ,but , I guess You just expect that service from people who are invisible to you .
Piss off you imbecile ,do the right thing and don,t forget to put yourself out on trash pick-up day….
Tell em Licks!!
Dream on LICKS! Learn to spell and punctuate. Maybe you’ll get a job and not be mad at Philipino pot washers who show up for work an stuff like that. You can be embarrassed for me all you like. I luckily finished high school.
With luck you finised high school ? Admit it , Social Promotion equally determined your fate .Please excuse my admittedly bad typing .
TELL EM GET IF THEY DONT LIKE THIS COUNTRY !! STUPID EX=PATS…THESE WORKERS DO EVERYTHING FOR THE COUNTRY
Why are you so angry? The name calling isn’t called for and I will definitely say you are not Bermudian. Please by all means give these people another solution, instead of calling them names.
Wow—that’s a lot of pent up venom that just exploded from your finger tips. Breath and relax, we are all in this together. Bermuda and Bermudians don’t have a lock on stupidity, all one has to do is scan the news from around the world to note that we are in good company. It appears that we haven’t evolved as a country and what we saw during the pre PLP era is being played out again now. The only difference is that that people that are now crying foul, follow the current opposition. If we were to be honest folk and I am not holding my breath on that, we would all accept the fact that for many, many years people of colour where not allowed to fully participate in the Bermudian economy. Yes, yes, some of us where allowed into that elite club but that was simply shrewd politics. Fast forward to today and what we see is more of the same, many of us are still not allowed to fully participate in Bermuda’s economy. So I say to you ‘Embarrassed to be a Bermudian’ stop beating up on yourself. There are so many stupid folks that live in all four corners of the world. Many in Canada, England, the US, etc etc. Unions wasn’t a Bermudian invention! But let’s start by being honest, this is not about that at all, is it?
Love Ya Back….
”
You all voted them in….Shut up and take your licks”
Yep, you get the Government you deserve. You voted the cretins in – now live with it you stupid idiots!!!!!
And still with the name calling. WOW
Time to for a change…
GET RID OF THIS PLP (non)Govt.
the Guv should bring in Home Rule and Investigate!
You guys kill me. and no I am not a member of the BIU. But seriously stop assuming that just because one is a union member they voted for the current government. Its ridiculous the amount of people that come on here running their mouth over here say or assumptions. Last i checked when an election is called its a secret ballot so how do you no who they voted for. So stop assuming because they are black they voted PLP. If you keep this up you might just encourage them to vote for them if they didnt and to continue voting for them if they did. Cut the racist black govt yadda yadda yadda bull crap and please talk facts or shut it. Thnks
`Last i checked when an election is called its a secret ballot so how do you no who they voted for. So stop assuming..`
Really ? Ask Marc Bean …. After he took licks in the const.31 by-election he made a remark that he knew how everyone voted. And everyone I asked said that he was not in the booth with them when they put down the X …
What they should do if they really and truly cared about the budget will be PARK THEM GP CARS on Friday at 5 pm and get back in them on Monday morning every week. It will save on maintenance, fuel, and maybe less MINISTERS texting and driving and causing posible accidents…. If they took a paycut believe it They will find their ways of getting the difference back… COME on that’ll be a true waste of time telling these folks they will take a pay cut… Look how hard it is now to get a nibble, on a cut, selfish……
Those blue collar workers are not stupid ignorant fools. The position they have taken is long overdue. If you add up all the increases those blue collar workers have received since the PLP took over, it still wouldn’t amount to the massive increase the Government Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department received 5 years ago. Based on the performance of those Ministers, PSs and Department Heads, the latest pay increase they received should last them for the next twenty years (if they are still in power). They are the ones who should have exercised better control of the public purse and won’t account for all they’ve spent. Blue collar workers would be damn fools if they fell for that latest offer. Do you think that Government would revert back to paying overtime beyond straight pay if the blue collar workers accepted that now. I say they are finally thinking for themselves and are not falling for ill advice.
True dat!
The above mentioned persons, have never seen a microphone or television camera they didn’t like. Suddenly they are speechless and invisible. Amazing!!
Even diehard PLP Supporters are sick off PLP and arrogance of Smith Administration, sorry I meant Webb, loops Cox Administration. I get confused due to my lack of testicular fortitude.
We are actually in dire straights – has anyone released the figures yet on air travel and hotels for Cox Dream Team Cabinet since Oct 2010. My guess is that you will see similarity or more spending that Brown, we need a new broom to sweep out all 21 old cob webs that are due for spring cleaning. Period. Old ideas, bad attitudes lack of any real confidence (hence why they jump when an IB CEO calls in a work permit renewal). Term limits aren’t even used to protect qualified and skilled locals, they hide behind the pagentry of office to avoid making any decisions. Sad, as they readily rant and rave in the media that “we are working hard for the people of Bermuda” yet secretly they banish any PLP supporters who don’t worship them, we are in a tough spot Bermuda. remember they do not have careers to go back to, or businesses, so this is life or death:
-$112,000 to $168,000/$181,000/$224,000
-use of Govt car for personal business
-$140 per week in gas for di car!
-credit card expenses that only heather will audit in 18 months time
-travel and hotel to conferences where they sit and listen as they have nothing to contribute and no conversation to make any contacts for Bermuda’s benefit
- oh yes, forcing people to call you “Honorable”
Reset the dial by kicking every one of them to the curb, give us 36 new Bermudians please to represent all 3 parties.we are tired.
Now let’s compare that with the full-time blue collar worker/civil servant who gets paid approximately half of the $112,000 salary of the part-time Minister. They use their own transportation to get to and from work and to do government business with no gas allowance, but they are being asked to be reduced even further. Something’s wrong with this picture for sure! Let’s compare the pensions – it will take a lower paid worker many more years of service to receive the equivalent pension of an MP who has served only 8 years.
Speakin,
Can you support this argument with facts – that is about the pensions? I don’t think anyone is asking the workers to reduce their wages.
LaVerne, they are asking for the overtime rate to be reduced to straight time, which will mean less pay when overtime is worked. Do the math! As for the pensions, obviously if a person earns double or three times more than a lower paid employee, the lower paid worker will have to work that much longer to equate what the higher paid worker will receive…it’s that simple!
One should never use overtime in their personal budgets, as it is never a guarantee. So while i sympathize with the workers, I dont feel the government can be blamed for regulating overtime. Overtime is simply that.
Overtime is a privilege, not a right.
Obviously if a person earns double or three times than another person, his/her pension will be higher. In other words, a permanent secretary will receive a higher pension that a labourer, or a ceo will receive a higher pension than his administrative assistant. What’s your point?
By the way, MPs pay more into their pension fund (12 1/2 %0 than government workers (5%).
Do you think all workers should receive the same wage,not matter what their job category?
Since overtime is not a right, why is the overtime rate being used as a negotiating factor? MPs pay more into their pensions because they could afford to. What was the latest % increase they received in comparison to the blue/white collar workers? I would have thought that those lower paid workers who do the manual labour and earn far less than the Ministers, PSs and Heads of Department, would be the ones receiving the higher salary increases, not those who already earn far more. What sacrifices are the Ministers, PSs and Heads of Department being asked to make? With Ministries and Departments being split, have they altered the pay for those Ministers, PSs and Heads of Department as some of them now have less people to manage and less functions to perform? I reiterate that there is something wrong with this picture.
Be a part of the change that you would like to see…lead by example! Are these MPs really concerned about the people or are they there to exploit the people? God only knows what’s in your hearts. If they were there wholly for the purpose of serving the country, a cut in salary shouldn’t be an issue.
The BIU workers said to get rid of consultants at first. Now they want the ministers to take a pay cut. Will they then move the goal post if the ministers take a cut? I have not heard anyone talk about the other issues the BIU raised such as sick leave, poor work ethics. If they dont take a freeze or overtime cuts, there might be redundancies. Not all workers agree with what the BIU are saying and the ones that make the most noise on the job are the worst abusers and poor money managers ( less drugs and alcohol may help). I only speak of what I see not from a guess either.
Just wondering if the union will also lead by example and do its part by reducing Mr. Furberts salary and the salaries of the other high ranking BIU staff .. and also by reducing union membership deductions currently taken out of their members wages!
Somehow this Government reminds me of that strange movie ‘Black Swan’ but I’m still trying to figure out who has taken on the role of the black swan.
Bring back polite MPs who want to talk to us like John Swan, Lois Browne-Evans etc these people are overpaid and arrogant. time to get rid of them. BIU is on the money with this issue.
Government will crack under the strain – the workass will get their raise. Anything to avoid MPs having to take a reduction in their pay. Pigs will fly outa my butt before that happens!!! Ha!
Dear Senator Furbert,
How can you support these MP salaries? I thought you were a fighter for us “the workers voice”.
Please ask Part time MPs to come and “do the peoples work” on a full time basis. why do Govt workers have to leave their jobs and salaries, yet private sector workers can keep their private sector perks and then get Govt pay on top of that, even if they work part time?
A worker
Union Member,
Why would you suggest that I am not a fighter for the workers? I only asked for the facts regarding pensions.
No one is asking for government workers to “leave their jobs and salaries”. You seem to be a bit confused. You need to speak to the private sector employers about private sector jobs and “perks”.
Who has asked government workers to leave their jobs?
Lord have mercy…..The Furbert has been thrown into the fight. Depserate times. Oh the irony. First Burch, now Fubert…….
Whats your thoughts Smoking Eva.
Mrs. Furbert, we are talking BIU/PLP not private sector. Atop spinning things. I am Gay and I love you.
Scary Spice has always been controversial even when she was involved with ..Umm .. Whats that joker /comedian named ? You know the one that couldn’t keep his hands out of the cookie jar…
People please simple solution….
MP’s and the like take a pay cut of 1% up to 5%, please the people for once and stop creating an even bigger divide of the ‘Have’s and Have Not’s’. Haven’t the average Jane/Joe sacrificed enough eg. gas/food price increasea, health insurance increases, payroll taxes etc.
I was under the assumption that members of parliament put themselves in a position to be elected by the People Of Bermuda to serve the People Of Bermuda. While I understand the need to receive a form of income for services rendered, but really in a position of service would it really hurt to give the people (to which you serve) a little break by taking a pay cut to show you really do care. Or Do You Really?? For the most part it’s a second income for most MPs, while there are people struggling to make ends meet with one JOB. I cannot blame government alone Bermudians are known for living beyond their means (trying to keep up with the Jones’)….Well News Flash – The Jones’ filed for Chapter 11 Bankrupcy in 2009. Overtime should not be included in your overall living expenses as it is not a guarantee!!!
Show face MPs and give a little and you will surely get a little back. Do what the private sector does it’s called Annual Performance Reviews – And weed out the non-performers. I’ve always heard government workers never get fired!!!! So what’s the incentive to give 110% every day???????????? Let common sense prevail…I know there are still a few people in power with some, use it!!!