The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

SENIOR school administrators who have waited years for promotions are expected to receive long-delayed letters after the Bahamas Educators Managerial Union said the documents were delivered to the Ministry of Education this week for distribution.

BEMU president Stephen McPhee said yesterday that some members had been waiting for promotions since 2016, one of several grievances that helped trigger rare industrial action by school administrators at the start of the new academic year.

Mr McPhee said promotion letters were delivered to the Ministry of Education on Monday and were now being prepared for affected members.

The development follows meetings between BEMU, the Labour Relations Unit and the Ministry of Education as the union presses the government over promotions, administrative vacancies, its expired industrial agreement and other unresolved concerns.

Mr McPhee said negotiations for a new industrial agreement have also begun and that improvements were being made to policies affecting working conditions, staffing and members’ rights.

He cautioned, however, that key financial issues remained unresolved.

“BEMU will continue to advocate strongly for a financial package,” Mr McPhee said, “one that properly recognises the responsibilities and value of our members as leaders in education.”

The union is now moving into what Mr McPhee described as critical financial discussions and hopes those matters will be addressed before the end of this week.

The progress comes a week after more than 90 percent of the country’s school administrators joined industrial action, forcing about 40,000 students to be dismissed early on September 2.

Mr McPhee had previously identified the promotion dispute as one of the issues behind the action.

He said the union’s concerns included promotions connected to a 2021 Supreme Court filing, promotions completed from 2018 and members who applied for advancement last year but were not promoted.

Principals, vice principals, district superintendents and assistant directors of education were among those reportedly awaiting promotion letters and related salary increases.

The industrial action took place before an interim injunction was granted by Justice Darron Ellis at the request of the Minister of Education and the Attorney General.

The order restrained BEMU, its officers and members from participating in any strike or other industrial action and required members employed by the Ministry of Education to report to their designated workplaces when scheduled.

It also prohibited them from taking sick leave without a valid sick certificate and barred union officials and members from inducing, inciting or intimidating ministry employees in a way that prevented them from attending work or encouraged them not to report for duty.

Mr McPhee urged members to remain united as negotiations continue.

“To our members, I say, remain encouraged, remain unified, and remain vigilant,” he said. “Success is being achieved, and your union continues to work for you.”