The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A GROUP of Bahamas Public Service Union members protested outside the Ministry of Works and Utilities on Friday to voice their frustrations about management at the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority.

The group of public servants, which consists of maintenance workers who are responsible for the upkeep of roadsides and government buildings, have accused the body’s management of overstepping their authority and disrespecting staff.

BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson said the two parties were initially working in partnership together to do their duties.

However, he said now, it appears that the authority wants to absorb the ministry’s staff and order them around, despite not having the power to do so.

“We know that the authority is not an approved authority,” Mr Ferguson told The Tribune.

“If I am not your staff, how could you give me any instruction? They are public servants. They are governed by the rules and regulations of the public service.”

“The persons they have been agitating to have as staff are the persons who have been cleaning the road verges from time immemorial and so that is really a challenge (because) people do not wish to go over to the Beaches and Parks Authority and they do not wish to be supervised by the Beaches and Parks Authority.”

Mr Ferguson said staff members do not want to work under the authority because they have no organisational structure in place to ensure that they are adequately compensated, among other things.

“There is no sort of structure in place, no means to promote people. They have no means to pay pension and so it must have structure similar to how the public service is structured,” the BPSU president continued.

He said until these mechanisms are put in the place, the union would not agree to any staff working under the Public Parks and Public Beaches authority.

“They were informed by the Minister of Public Works, Mr Alfred Sears, that the staff belongs to the Ministry of Works, they were informed and now for whatever reason, Mr (McKell) Bonaby wants staff and machinery,” he added.

“If you are giving out contracts to persons, what do you need machinery for? So, again that’s where a discrepancy came in.”

Workers are also angered over the “blatant disregard” for the positions they hold, the BPSU president further explained.

“The Beach and Parks Authority wanted a junior person to supervise the most senior supervisor in the grounds and beautification section,” Mr Ferguson said.

“So, they were also resistant to that because if we allowed that to happen, they can almost send someone to join a job today or tomorrow and say go and supervise those people because there’s no regard for seniority.”

Mr Ferguson said Minister of Works and Utilities Alfred Sears has responsibility for the Public Parks and Beaches Authority, but said “it appears like the chairman (Mr Bonaby) doesn’t seem to be paying attention to what the minister is saying.”

Mr Ferguson also said he has already spoken with the ministry officials on the issue, adding that meetings are expected to be held this week to discuss the way forward.