The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration plans to present its final proposal to the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) today, State Minister of Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle said yesterday. She is hopeful a new industrial agreement can be signed before the end of the year.

The BPSU had earlier called the government’s proposal on salary increases unacceptable and a “slap in the face,” saying it was made without consulting the union.

However, Mrs Glover- Rolle claimed yesterday that officials have had several conversations with BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson on the proposed agreement and have even considered his concerns.

She also said she was surprised by the union’s demonstration outside Parliament on Wednesday because days earlier, the ministry had received a letter from the union stating they were ready to sign the agreement on December 9.

However, she said the “protest happened prior to the expiration of the date that they would’ve given in their letter.”

She also insisted that negotiations between the two parties have been ongoing, contrary to what the union has said.

“It is not my understanding that he hasn’t sat and had meetings with our labour relations unit,” she told reporters yesterday.

“In order for him to also say that certain things are included in the agreement, you had to have seen it. We have taken into consideration his comments received in a missive and in conversations with the labour relations unit in regard to the lower scale and that is what has been prepared.

“I will say that in terms of having negotiations, to my recollection to my understanding from our chief negotiator, Mr Bernard Evans, meetings have been held (and) conversations have been held. I have seen Mr Ferguson here in meetings with the Prime Minister. So, I can’t speak to that comment.”

She added that additional conversations were had with union executives and the government’s negotiating team after Wednesday’s protest.

Asked yesterday if she thought the BPSU was being unreasonable in their demands, the state minister replied that union executives were just doing their job which is “to negotiate in the best interests of their workers.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle also said she could not fault BPSU for wanting more money for members, but explained that based on the country’s current financial state, the package proposed was the best offer the government could make at this time.

“It’s our goal that we get this package to them before the holidays,” she said, “and in a matter of proactivity, because the BPSU has stated that they are willing to come to the table to sign.

“We have an abbreviated pay period in the month of December, which means that the pay cycle closes earlier. Other unions had to wait for six weeks to realise the benefits of their agreement.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle continued: “We feel that we’re on a trajectory with BPSU to sign, and hopeful that we’ll sign before the end of the year. So as a result, we would have engaged the Ministry of Public Service’s technical team and the Ministry of Finance’s technical team to begin the process that mirrors the agreement in terms of ensuring that the payroll cycle, if this agreement is signed, is met in time for the holidays, so that our workers aren’t disenfranchised.

“If the BPSU would have signed last week this week or next week and we didn’t engage the process, if we weren’t proactive workers would not be paid for the holidays. Our goal, again, is to ensure that the members of the BPSU who are the Bahamian workers (and) who are the government’s employees receive their benefits before the holidays.”

Should the union reject the proposal, Mrs Glover- Rolle said negotiations will continue.