The Tribune

THERE seems to be a lack of unity at the Bahamas Union of Teachers of late.

Last month, a breakaway union formed in 2020, the Bahamas Educators Counsellors and Allied Workers Union, took a more welcoming stance for the return of face-to-face learning.

And now the union is accused of not paying hundreds of retirees what they are owed in retirement benefits and payments to the pension trust.

The sums can reach more than $7,000 for some of those involved, it is believed.

It is not a new issue, either, with letters requesting assistance on the matter dating back as much as 13 years.

Union president Belinda Wilson can be a polarising figure. In fact, the Minister of State for Education sitting opposite her in negotiations with government, Zane Lightbourne, was once a rival for the presidency of the union and locked horns with her during a suspension from her role back in 2015. He criticised her, saying: “She has always had the ‘me, me, I’ type of leadership.”

Mrs Wilson can also often be right – as can be seen regularly when she points out that schools are not ready at the end of construction for classes to resume, and it turns out to be the case.

In reporting the claims over payments being due to retirees, however, Mrs Wilson declined to comment.

This is a matter that has gone on for far too long – and deserves to be treated with just as much importance as whether air conditioning is working in a classroom, or construction has been completed on a campus.

While she might be eager to focus on calling teachers out for a sick day in protest at government plans, she also needs to focus on the wellbeing of former teachers as well as current ones.

There is an obvious part to play for the union in calling out the government when it falls short – but it needs to do the same when it falls short for its own members.

We hope Mrs Wilson will give an answer to those left waiting – and not just leave them in limbo.

Financial boost

While financial analysts might be playing down the long-term situation, it’s hard not to feel a shot of optimism at the news that the nation looks likely to beat its deficit target by a wide margin.

The numbers are still big, of course, but instead of a deficit of $858.6m, the first half of the year saw a 63.5 percent drop in the deficit. The debt is still going up, but by a smaller amount – we’re not into surplus territory yet.

But this is a very welcome step forward. It’s not just more money coming in – though that plays a part, with $92m more than projected. It’s also about a reduction in the money going out – and that will grow as more people get back to work and there is less need to pay out money on supporting those left on the sidelines of the recovery.

The head of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ debt advisory committee, James Smith, cautioned that this announcement “wasn’t a basis for optimism”. Why? We’re still on the COVID-19 rollercoaster, and that’s not ending any time soon with the ever-present risk of new variants that could prove more deadly or disruptive.

Essentially, we’re in the middle of that long haul – and this upturn, while welcome, could be wiped out tomorrow by another twist.

There may indeed be more grey clouds ahead. But for now, we’ll appreciate this one silver lining.