The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC Service and National Insurance Minister Brensil Rolle suggested yesterday that it’s not unusual to see industrial unrest in the public sector when a general election approaches, saying “unions do what unions do” and “perhaps react based on the times”.

His comments came after services at public hospitals and several Family Island airports were affected Monday after members of the Bahamas Public Services Union refused to show up to work in protest at unresolved workplace grievances.

Monday’s industrial action prompted the closure of airports on Abaco, Bimini, Cat Island, South Andros and San Salvador and also caused the suspension of services at Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue.

Responding to union unrest yesterday, Mr Rolle, who also was a former unionist, said: “Unions do what unions do.”

“They, perhaps, react based on the times. I was active in the unions and so I know what the unions do. I have a good relationship with the public service union and other unions and what I tried to do is work with them to make sure their working conditions are satisfactory.

“I said to them from last year that I could not speak specifically on monies but my duty was to make sure the environment in which they work is safe and they’re comfortable and that’s what they sought to do.”

Last week, BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson, who represents some employees at the hospital as well as airport staff, warned there could be major disruption in hospital and airport services if workers’ longstanding concerns are not immediately resolved.

The union is calling for hazard pay; salary increases and uniform allowances among other things as part of its industrial agreement terms, which they are still waiting to finalise.

Speaking on the issue of workplace benefits, Mr Rolle told reporters: “If they were in the public service, they would have received an increment every year until they reach a service bar and if they’re outside of the public service, then I can’t speak to them.”

Mr Rolle also spoke about his ministry’s efforts to regularise just over 1,200 workers in the public sector.

At a rally held in Abaco on Monday, Mr Rolle told party supporters that dozens of Abaco residents will be made permanent employees of the ministry and the National Insurance Board.

“We made a commitment to young people who joined the programme, the national job creation programme that if they performed and did their work then we would consider them to become permanent,” Mr Rolle told reporters ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

“We made that commitment to them when we hired them in the programme last summer and this summer, we began the process of engaging them so I can say that 99.9 percent of those individuals have now gotten their letters or will get their letters to indicate that they’ve joined the system and they’re placed on 12 months’ probation by the government and I’m sure they will continue their excellence and become permanent in the service.”

Mr Rolle also thanked the Bahamian people, specifically Garden Hills residents, for their support during his time in politics.

Earlier this year, the NIB minister told parliamentarians in the House of Assembly that he will not be running for re-election and will be retiring from politics.

“I want to commend and thank the people of Garden Hills who saw fit to elect me. I did my best for them. I will continue to advocate on their behalf but they give me an opportunity and I’m eternally grateful for them,” Mr Rolle said yesterday.