PUBLIC Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, union president Kimsley Ferguson and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Gina Thompson with others at the signing yesterday. Photos: Austin Fernander
By Lynaire Munnings
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
UP TO 4,000 union members could benefit after a $40m industrial agreement was signed with the Bahamas Public Services Union yesterday.
The three-year deal will increase allowances and salary scales, and covers the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025.
Officials said salary bumps would allow many public servants to receive four to five incremental payments per year in addition to their usual increments.
The disturbance allowance has been increased from $1,200 to 1,500 per year. The transport allowance has been increased from $250 per month to $300 per month, and casual mileage has been increased from $2 per mile to $3 per mile.
Officials said the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Department of Correctional Services trainees will now receive a $20,000 annual salary, up from their previous $18,000 salary.
BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson said there are still some outstanding matters affecting his members.
He said he is seeking hazardous allowance or insurance coverage for security officers and staff of the meteorology office.
Public Service State Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the Davis administration had completed 16 agreements since coming to office.
“We not only attempt to improve their benefits, (but) their work environment and working conditions as well,” she said. “There’s still a lot more to be done in the line of promotions, upskilling and moving up in the public service.
“And also, more importantly, a conversation that we’ll continue with trade unions across the country is how we can look to amend and revise policies that may be hampering or impeding the process of our public servants.”
Comments
Sickened 1 year ago
Sorry but what is casual mileage? Is this to cover driving yourself to work? Or is it for driving around during the weekends?
realfreethinker 1 year ago
Amazing. They are giving increases to a bloated public service rather than streamlining it. Where is this money coming from?
Flyingfish 1 year ago
Woah, woah, woah. These people need to use the jitney if they spending so much on driving. Why is the Bahamian wider public paying peoples gas money.
Instead of investing in a proper public transit system for all, were paying for every government workers car upkeep, insurance, and now gas money.
It literally cheaper and were picking the more expensive option that taxes the rest of society.
Why should we pay for cancerous policy.
Sickened 1 year ago
This game has been going on forever. As a reminder, this is how government works. While in power a certain government pad contracts with hundreds of millions of dollars so they can get theirs. This certain government promises to pay all sorts of government workers all sorts of money with no intention on paying. That certain government loses the next election because they have literally bankrupted the country. The other government then gets in power and strike action is threatened by almost every union for monies owed and that government is forced to pay outstanding amounts. The other government then has to tighten the belt so much in order to keep the country afloat that they then lose the next election.
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