The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunmedia.net

THE Bahamas Public Services Union signed an industrial agreement with the University of The Bahamas yesterday, with roughly 250 employees of UB staff to benefit.

BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson said the agreement included a salary review, salary increases, lump sum payments, and other benefits.

“We’re really happy and pleased this morning to be signing this phenomenal industrial agreement. The benefits associated with it were the lump sum payments that do stand out,” Mr Ferguson said. “But I want to assure people as well that there are salary increases that are associated with it.”

Mr Ferguson said officials were able to secure a $4,000 lump sum payment which was paid in December 2022 and $2000 which was paid in July 2023.

The salary scales of employees were widened from 19 to 30, allowing staff at UB to receive an increase incrementally.

“We were also able to increase all of the low skills and the increments from $400 to $600 per annum. And that will be retroactive from July of 2019,” Mr Ferguson said.

Mr Ferguson noted a salary review will be established for employees that will result in some adjustments and salary increases.

“We also agreed on the implementation of a salary review for all positions again, which will bring increases to salaries. We also ask that this exercise be retroactive to 2019.”

A cost of living policy of five per cent and an increase in gas mileage from $2 to $3 per mile were other benefits implemented.

In terms, of when the salary increases will be effective officials said the salary review process will have to be completed first. However, incremental increases were effective from July 2023.

The agreement expires in 2024, it was a four-year agreement.

Mr Ferguson said some employees started benefiting from the agreement in 2022.

For her part, acting UB president Janyne Hodder expressed excitement about the agreement.

“I want to thank our partners at BPSU for the work that we’ve done together and that we intend to continue to do together. I want to thank the negotiating teams for bringing us to this very happy day,” she said.

Ms Hodder marked the signing of the agreement as a “happy moment”, noting UB is still working on other matters such as its path to accreditation.