By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT
ts-cartwright@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Public Service Union president Kimsley Ferguson said the government’s proposed fiscal restraints on the civil service will cause unrest.
The union leader spoke passionately after Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest told the House of Assembly that the Minnis administration is in talks with unions to seek support in pausing increments to permanent and pensionable civil servants as well as temporarily suspending salary increases and deferring salary increases attendant to promotion exercises.
Mr Ferguson said the matters were somewhat discussed, claimed but only half-truths were presented in the Budget communication yesterday.
“It was discussed to some extent,” the union leader said. “The implication that promotions and the payments for promotions would be deferred until January 2021, that was a part of what was discussed but initially it was agreed that all the promotions that are already being processed by public service, those persons would have been paid and compensated for those promotions upon completion of processing. And, anything processed after that would be deferred until January 2021.”
He said there were no discussions on the deferral of salary increases and it never came up when he and his team met with the government.
“There were no discussions on the deferral of salary increases,” he told The Tribune. “That never really came up in our discussions at all. So I am concerned that someone is being a stranger to the truth. The government, for whatever reason, is appearing not to be very union friendly at all. It appears to all those who were in attendance at the meeting that the government came with what they were suggesting already written in stone. And the meeting we had with them was only a form of consultation so that they can say, ‘we did meet with the union’, but the decision was already made.”
During his speech, Mr Turnquest said to be clear, the government will still process and grant promotions, as the government recognises that some are long overdue. However, he said, the attendant salary increases would be deferred at least until January 2021, when the government will have a better view of the circumstances. He said similarly, any new appointments will happen on an exceptional basis only.
“We are very concerned because that is very, very disrespectful,” said Mr Ferguson, continuing. “It is unacceptable to trade unions in this country and it sends a red flag to the point where the government, in our opinion, is doing some stuff that is going to cause some unrest during this particular time when which is really not a convenient time for this country.”
Mr Ferguson said it is extremely difficult to catch up with government officials as they are not accepting his calls.
“It is extremely difficult to access anyone of these individuals (government authorities) unless they are seeking support from you on an item. You make calls to these persons and they don’t accept calls. Notes have been sent to the various ministers and they do not answer them.
“The prime minister, for some weeks now, has assumed the role of acting minister of health and we still have some outstanding things in health. We also have items that need to be addressed by the minister of tourism and we have been trying to reach him without any favourable response regarding the payments of monies to Airport Authority’s staff. That has been outstanding from 2015.”
Mr Ferguson said while the government is asking the union to support it in deferring more payments owed to public servants, it is not considerate in addressing the union’s outstanding concerns which date as far back as six years.
Comments
hrysippus 4 years, 6 months ago
The employees in the civil service need to start funding their own pensions. They have had free ride at everyone else's expense for way too many decades. The country can not fully recover and thrive economically unless this problem is addressed.
moncurcool 4 years, 6 months ago
Will say to again. Union leaders are the greatest travesty to the development of this country. They are terrorists and the government needs to deal with them with a strong arm. They are no longer fighting in the spirit of what Randol Fawkes was doing for labour. Civil servants are fat cats with guaranteed pension. They do not know what the average worker often underemployed has to deal with. Ferguson would be happy the government was not gutting the civil service.
Hoda 4 years, 6 months ago
Well you have been given a secured or guaranteed salary plus benefits, you should relax.
moncurcool 4 years, 6 months ago
Today Mr ferguson said there were no discussion of salary increases. But note his statement in yesterday's Tribune
"Mr Ferguson said Mr Rolle informed the union leaders that all public sector promotions submitted and approved before the end of May - together with the associated pay increases - would be honoured. However, while all promotions submitted after May 31 will be processed, the BPSU chief said the government is planning to defer all salary increases until January 2021." (http://www.tribune.com/news/2020/may/27…)
Yesterday this man talk about the government saying they will defer salary increases until January 2021. Today he changes his talk and is a stranger to what he said one day earlier.
The Tribune need to stop just printing verbatim the words of these nuts and challenge them on their statements.
Hoda 4 years, 6 months ago
wow, lackluster journalism.
hj 4 years, 6 months ago
The union fools need to grow up. Many people lost their jobs and they complain they didn't get a raise?.They were among the few ones that were getting paid "working from home" . Their jobs seem to be secure for life,not to mention that for a lot of them their only qualification is voting for the "right" party.
thps 4 years, 6 months ago
Not serious at all.
Topdude 4 years, 6 months ago
The true solution is to privatize the Public Service. The results will be exemplary. Get rid of the deadwood, loafers and double dippers. We will get value for money. Privatize pensions.
The_Oracle 4 years, 6 months ago
Audit them all. That aught to land half of them in jail for embezzlement, and wake up the sheep who fund them. At public expense.
DWW 4 years, 6 months ago
right now the only ones happy in this country are govt employees. they are getting paid and barely have to work (except health & safety sector). they need to go sit down and shut up. meanwhile every hotel worker, taxi driver, bus driver, and so many more haven't had a paycheck in months. these people are despicable and ungrateful
Sickened 4 years, 6 months ago
Line up all the union leaders and go down the line slapping sense into each and every one of them.
xtreme2x 4 years, 6 months ago
bol...hahahaha...o lord i ca laugh
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