The Tribune

BY FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A TRADE union yesterday alleged that frustration is growing among Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) staff after almost a year of negotiations have left their industrial agreement still unsigned despite most terms being settled.

Nicole Francis, the Regulatory and Allied Workers Union (RAWU) president, said the agreement is about 98 percent complete, with the only outstanding  issue involving personal days, while it is still awaiting details of a financial package that Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance financial secretary, confirmed has been approved.

“We should be in the final stages. There is only one matter that needs to be resolved, but the director of the FIU is stalling on signing the industrial agreement. We don't know why. We're not getting an answer from him as to why he wants to stall this process,” said Ms Francis.

She added that the union is also waiting to see the actual figures contained in the financial package following an August 26 meeting with Mr Wilson. “If the financial package is approved, we're still waiting to actually see the correct numbers for the financial package,” said Ms Francis.

“We're wondering why is it taking so long? Why is it being stalled when this matter could have already been resolved and our industrial agreement could have already been signed?”

The RAWU was recognised as the bargaining agent for permanent and pensionable FIU staff on July 29, 2025, and said it formally approached the agency to begin negotiations in September of that year. The FIU analyses suspicious transaction reports received from financial institutions and passes the findings on to the police for further investigation.

D’Anthra Adderley, the RAWU secretary-general, said the union did not receive an immediate response and was required to follow up before the process moved forward.

“We reached out formally in September of last year because we got our determination from the Department of Labour that we're the duly recognised bargaining agent for the permanent and pensionable staff of the FIU on July 29, 2025,” said Ms Adderley.

“Once we had that certificate, we were then able to approach or write the employer, according to the Industrial Relations Act, and say we're the duly recognised union or bargaining agent for this group of people at your place of employment, and they want representation. That's why we're here, and we want to sit down and negotiate with you.”

The first meeting between the parties was not held until November 14, 2025, according to RAWU. Ms Adderley said the union had reminded the FIU of the statutory timeframe for responding to its request to negotiate, with the agency ultimately using the full period available to it.

She said the lengthy process was particularly frustrating because most of the articles in the proposed industrial agreement have now been settled.

“Most of the articles already been agreed upon. So what is the hold-up? Like, just let's get this done. Let's get this to the registrar for the trade unions. Who’s a lawyer who has to vet the document, ensure that it's in compliance with the law, and let's get this thing certified,” said Ms Adderley.

“What is the hold-up? I mean, I would think he would want to do this in the best interest of the staff because this is what they want. This isn't what one or two persons want.”

The remaining dispute centres on personal days, which Ms Adderley said were previously provided to FIU employees under their employee handbook. She said staff had two personal days until January 2025, when the benefit was withdrawn and employees were told to use vacation days instead.

She said the RAWU viewed the issue as part of a wider effort to improve employee benefits through the industrial agreement. “The point of an industrial agreement is to improve upon existing benefits,” Ms Adderley said.

Among the other changes negotiated, she said, is a system that would tie vacation entitlement more closely to an employee's length of service, rather than providing the same entitlement regardless of tenure.

RAWU said the agreement is also intended to address broader concerns over working conditions, human resources practices and staff benefits. Ms Francis said the agreement was important because FIU employees deserved “a better working condition and structure” at the agency.

Ms Adderley said staff morale is currently low, with some employees considering leaving because of limited opportunities for career advancement and concerns about the working environment.

The union's frustration comes as the FIU prepares for a major international assessment of The Bahamas' anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.

The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) is scheduled to conduct its on-site mutual evaluation from October 19 to 30, 2026, with FIU staff working to clear backlogs and prepare for the assessment.

Ms Adderley said the union supports the FIU's preparations, but questioned the timing of the continued delay in finalising the staff agreement.

“There are a number of organisations, which includes us, that are going to be assessed to see where we stand, and that has even bigger impacts. And so, to go into something like that with the staff not satisfied, the morale is low here,” she said. “I never thought when we started this process last September that this would have taken this long.”

RAWU said it is now calling on the Government to intervene, including Michael Halkitis, minister of finance, and Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, to help bring the negotiations to a conclusion.

Ms Adderley said the union believes the Prime Minister should take a closer look at the situation at the FIU, while noting that the agency falls under the Ministry of Finance. “As far as we know, he wants this done,” she said of Mr Halkitis.

RAWU said it remains prepared to return to negotiations if necessary, but wants the current agreement finalised and submitted for the required legal review and certification.