Dear Editor,
With great astonishment I read the article in The Daily Herald’s Friday, January 29, 2016, edition under the heading “GEBE’s Board advises Shareholder against appointing Brooks as CEO.” One of their reasons for doing such was his cancelling the senior relief programme, although the shareholder had directed that this programme be further developed.
The reason for my amazement is the fact that a few months ago this same Shareholder and Supervisory Board of Directors gave GEBE’s Management the directive to discontinue the medical health coverage of GEBE’s retirees. The Supervisory Board / Shareholder expect the phasing out to be completed by April 1, 2016. This concerns a pensioner’s medical package which these same retirees negotiated for during their career at GEBE. Nobody ever thought the company would try to renege on an agreement like that and it’s only fair that the company should honour what they promised the retirees during their working careers. It certainly does not justify a breach of obligations and does not give the company a right to unilaterally change the agreement.
The members of GEBE’s Supervisory Board and the Shareholder’s representative are all financially secure. Their own medical coverage is certainly not at risk. Besides the remuneration they receive from GEBE, each member of GEBE’s Supervisory Board of Directors has a career with a generous income and/or multiple pensions. “Alleging” that it’s no longer “financially sustainable” and “covering the medical insurance premiums for retirees can no longer be responsibly carried by the company” has not prevented the Company from paying its SBOD quite handsomely.
The retiree’s share of premiums will definitely consume a healthy portion of his monthly pension while these retirees are living on a fixed income and can ill-afford to pay the costs the company has shifted upon them.
Lip service continues to be paid to seniors, but the Shareholder and GEBE’s Supervisory Board of Directors are definitely doing nothing to help them.
A GEBE Pensioner
Name withheld at author’s request.
