Numerous BTC Employees Call In ‘Sick’
Numerous BTC employees began to call in ‘sick’ on Friday 29th June, which has continued through today [July 3].
BTC employees attended a meeting at BIU headquarters on Union Street at around 12pm last Thursday [June 28], with unofficial sources indicating there may be a disagreement over possible staff redundancies in the future.
Commencing Friday 29th June, some of the employees who are represented by the BIU did not report for work. This continued on Saturday 30th for those scheduled to work on Saturday; and has carried into Monday and today.
BTC CEO Lloyd Fray confirmed this evening that there have been a “large number of absences due to sickness” and that BTC has attempted to resolve this matter through on going discussions with the BIU.
Mr Fray said: “Since Friday June 29, 2012, BTC departments have been affected by a large number of absences due to sickness.
“Whilst we believe that the unusually high number of absences may have been the result of some industrial action, BTC has continued to make every attempt to resolve this matter through on going discussions with Bermuda Industrial Union Officials.
“BTC recognises the impact sickness have on our customers and wishes to apologise for any service interruptions that may have occurred,” concluded Mr Fray.
Layoffs need to start with those employees who are too “sick” to work.
STop laying them off and Come correct. You can only hand out so many severance packages.
Why all the redundancies and still people can’t get someone to come fix their line. What’s up with that?
BTC are selling off and shutting down…..giving away their best assets to competitors because they can’t change at the top, so no change at the bottom…..
@ family man… 100% agree….
Bottom line is that BTC are over staffed for the “new” telecommunications market…. Phone systems are computers now and use the same network as office PC’s…. To be a viable business dead wood neads to be cut…..
The BIU is a dinosaur that has not chaned with the times….. Between it and the Government they are killing employment in Bermuda….
Unfortunately you are correct. BTC is modernizing and if these layoffs did not happen employees would be sitting around doing absolutely nothing but collecting a paycheck. What kind of business model is that? It’s the sad truth, but in order for BTC to be a contender this has to happen. The BIU striking and having sick outs isn’t going to change this fact.
Exactly! Adapt to the times! Think about it people, do we have a bunch of old typewriter repairmen still sitting around shop, collecting a paycheck while waiting for a service call?? NO!!! Get over it, times and technology change!!!!!! Step aside.
Sickos deserve to be fired ASAP.
Agree. These sickos may actually end up helping BTC make some decisions. Gives them a reason to fire instead of layoff thereby avoiding the need for severance pay.
soooooooo you are so clueless about what you are talking about.The staff at BTC just want the MANAGEMENT TEAM TO BE HONEST,which they have failed to do.The new telecommunications market has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.Get your facts right.
Sick days are for when you are sick, not for when you don’t feel like working.
You want honesty from others but you’re ok with the ‘workers’ blatantly lying about being sick.
Any employee lying about being sick should be fired.
+1
FIRE THEM AND MOVE ON!
What do they want the Management team to be honest about? the new prism system and modernization has everything to do with it. stop being stubborn and pretending it’s about something else.
Maybe it’s not best business practice, but since when does a boss have to tell an employee his plans for his business? There are a few factors in play here… The biggest of which is the restructuring of BTC. Seconday is a union (employment )issue.. This, in my opinion is the union trying to flex its muscles and try and show control…
soooooo you are so clueless what you are talking about.The staff at BTC just want the Management to be honest,which they have failed to do.The new telecommunications market has nothing to do with it.Get your fact right before you judge others.The BIU have been fighting Management for years and you say they are a dinosaur which is extinct,but the Rats are still here.
Just like everywhere else in the world, the union here protects the weak and the lazy. Good honest workers rarely need protection.
teachers, firefighters, policemen are not weak and lazy. Unions have done great things in the past and continue to do great things. The problem arises when they dont change with the times and try to protect jobs that shouldn’t exist. Corporate greed will always trump the good honest worker and without unions the world we live in would be a far shittier place.
Yet millions of employees have great careers without ever belonging to a union.
Why is a union getting its employees to pretend they’re sick? They should be fired.
A union that itself is breaking the law by failing to file its financial returns.
aside form the rhetoric.what is the sick out really about? the comment about sick days for being sick instead of teaching your boss a lesson is spot on…..I don’t have a job and trust me – i would learn the skills required ASAP and I WOULDN’t BE SICK.
if this is a narrow minded approach employees who are (rightfully) desperate to keep a job by sick outs what purpose does it serve?
if the management are wrong then shame on them.
It is amazing to see that you really don’t need any facts to have an opinion.
It has nothing to do with the modernizing of BTC but more to do with the out sourcing of jobs then putting your fellow Bermudians out of work. BTC is one of a few companies where you can get 100 years worth of telecommunication experience in only 3 people. People who have serviced this community for most of their life and it is so amazing to see just how that community supports them when they have a need.
It is times like this when I am ashamed at some of my fellow Bermudians.
And as for the BIU, it seems that many of us do not realize just how they can enjoy the benefits and life style they receive from their employment or maybe we should go back to the time before there was anyone standing up for the workers’ rights. Just how would they like that? The BIU protects Jobs Plain and simple. Are there some who take advantage of that? Yes, but there are more who survive and families that prosper because of them weather they are Unionized or not.
(Learn your History or you will be destine to repeat it.)
The Bermuda Labour movement makes me laugh! Try pulling a sickie in the UK or the US – you would be replaced before the ink was dry on your sick note! lol Here’s an idea – try to work you backsides off to prove to management that you are one of the people who shouldnt be laid off!
Then where does that leave my sense of entitlement I was born with as a Bermudian? Lol
BTC is a dying business – it has useless products that are suitable for a third world, not Bermuda.
BTC just need to do one big clean sweep and call it a day. they have been laying off staff for over 2 years or more. Get your act together BTC and decide on who stays and who goes once and for all.
SACK THEM ALL, hundreds of folks unemployed. Sack Furbert first – come on, how can anyone think this is good for the island??
And…since I never got my automatic bill for June, I’m feeling like calling in sick from my own job and spending that $$! Oh wait, that’s the lack of discipline and foresight that those sickos are exhibiting. Never mind.