The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE were called to the Ministry of Works on John F Kennedy Drive yesterday morning when dozens of workers blocked the entrance to the compound to protest the years that they have not received hazardous pay.

This is the third protest in three months and the second in two days for the workers, who claim the government “cherry picked” which of them should receive hazardous pay and which workers should not.

Kemsley Ferguson, executive vice president of the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU), said after the second protest in May, the government made good on its promise to pay the workers nine years of back hazard pay. However, he said, only half, about 200 of the workers, received their money and the other half “have not heard anything from the government since.”

“We had a number of staff who were demonstrating concerning the hazard pay. About a month ago or so, some persons were awarded sums of money for hazard pay in the areas of the plumbing shop, the air-conditioning section and one or two other sections. Apparently the carpenters and masons and painters didn’t receive any compensation,” Mr Ferguson said.

“So this morning in order to get the attention of the parties concerned, the permanent secretary and the minister, the persons gathered here to try and see if they can get their voices heard.”

Mr Ferguson said he met with the ministry’s permanent secretary shortly after the protest and set up a meeting for Monday, when both parties could relay their concerns. He said the workers will hold off on any more protests until after the meeting.

“I went up and I spoke with the PS who told us that on Monday there will be a meeting held at the Department of Public Service where they will address the concerns of hazard pay for the remaining groups of persons,” he said.

“So, what we have asked the membership and the staff to do, is give us until Monday so that we can get a response from the persons concerned and that will determine what our next course of action will be. We were asked to produce justification for why persons need hazard pay, we have done that for some classes and we are still in the process of gathering the rest of the information so that it can be forwarded.

“What we believe is that once we present the justification it will only put them in a position now to determine when they are going to sign off on the hazard pay and how far back it will be dated from.”

Mr Ferguson said more than 200 workers are still owed millions of dollars in hazardous back pay.

Earlier this month, BPSU President John Pinder confirmed to The Tribune that the government started making payments to Ministry of Works employees for outstanding hazardous pay they claimed was owed them from 2005.

 Mr Pinder said it was his “understanding” that some of the staff have been paid and the government has made arrangements to pay the others.