The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Public Services Union’s (BPSU) president last night asserted the Government has “gone rogue” over rehiring civil service retirees as he hit back at concerns of a ‘hollow middle’.

Kimsley Ferguson, head of the union that acts as the bargaining agent for central government civil servants, told Tribune Business that the Davis administration is “blatantly disregarding the policies and procedures” that govern the promotion and movement of civil servants by bringing back so many retirees in senior positions.

Asserting that Pia Glover-Rolle, minister of labour and the public service was suggesting “incompetence” within the civil service, and this was the reason for the Government’s actions, he also denied that himself and the union have been consulted to-date on the public service salary review.

Mrs Glover-Rolle, in a statement at the weekend, said that an audit had uncovered what she described as a ‘hollow middle’ in the public service that the Government plans to fill through the training and promotion of suitably-qualified civil servants.

She added that the Government will continue promoting lifelong learning and continuous skills development to ensure public servants can meet the demands of a 21st century labour environment and develop leadership skills.

“When we audited the public service, we discovered a ‘hollow middle’ that we will fill through regularly scheduled promotions,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said. “To qualify public servants for these promotions, general training and education, as well as accredited leadership courses, will be vital in helping us with succession planning and leadership development.

“This will enable us to end the practice of bringing back retired leaders for their expertise and institutional knowledge.” An unimpressed Mr Ferguson, though, argued that the implication retirees are being brought back to supervise civil servants lacking the required skills “could not be further from the truth”.

“The minister’s statement, regardless of how mild mannered it may appear, in actuality is really suggesting incompetence, which is insulting to the hard-working human resource professionals across the public service,” the BPSU chief blasted.

“The reappointment of retirees is an indictment on those very individuals who have previously occupied these positions, demitted office and failed to mentor or train replacements to assume their roles and to function in the positions they once held. At some point prior to vacating office thought should have been given to preparing others to carry on the functions of the public service and succeed them.”

Mr Ferguson is not the only public sector union leader head to voice concerns over the practice of rehiring civil service retirees aged over 65. Deron Brooks, the Bahamas Customs Immigration & Allied Workers Union (BCIAWU) president, told Tribune Business earlier this month that it is blocking promotion possibilities for existing civil servants.

“The Government has gone rogue, blatantly disregarding the policies and procedures that speak to the elevation and movement of staff in the public service,” Mr Ferguson charged. “The policies that speak to the reengagement of retired public officers are designed to protect the prospects of serving officers and to ensure that the same are not prejudiced.

“The only time a retired public servant should be reappointed is when the vacancy cannot otherwise be filled, and should be on temporary terms or on short-term contracts, and should only be done if it is necessary to fill an essential post for which no likely candidate is envisaged for some time to come.”

As for the Government’s public service salary review, which is designed to ensure compensation and benefits are competitive with what is offered in the private sector, the BPSU president said: “Historically, I am unaware of any salary reviews or compensation studies implemented before they were totally completed.

“Apparently, the exercises have come to a screeching halt and the only public officers that have benefited from the said review is the permanent secretaries. The Minister of Labour and the Public Service in her press statement said that she has reached out to the president of the Bahamas Public Services Union in reference to the salary review.

“I wish to state emphatically that this statement is inaccurate and no discussions were held between the union and the Government in this regard. We have written to the minister, Pia Glover-Rolle and the permanent secretary, Gina Thompson, reminding them that the BPSU is the sole bargaining agent for public servants and that there should be no adjustments to the terms and conditions of employment of members of our bargaining unit prior to consultation with the union.

“To date, we have not received a response. The Government’s behaviour towards unions is to be considered nothing less than union busting. If unions are to be considered partners then our relationship ought to be consistent if the intent is to foster harmonious labour relations.”