By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) president Kimsley Ferguson has called for a structured poll to determine public servants’ opinions on the proposed shift to bi-monthly pay.

He stressed the importance of gauging workers’ perspectives before implementing the change.

Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle initially set early 2025 as the start date for the bi-weekly system but later extended the timeline for further consultation after union leaders expressed concerns. Despite the delay, Mrs Glover-Rolle has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the change, citing consistent cash flow between pay periods as a major advantage.

While acknowledging potential benefits, Mr Ferguson said the general preference among workers is to maintain the current monthly pay structure, adding that the union is not opposed to change but seeks clarity on how the shift would benefit employees.

“A number of persons that I would have spoken to oppose the change simply because they feel disciplined enough to take care of their personal affairs and commitments in a monthly fashion as opposed to doing it twice monthly,” he said. 

He also raised practical concerns, pointing out that the current system pays workers two working days before the month’s end. A bi-monthly schedule could require more frequent financial management, potentially disrupting workplace productivity if employees need additional time off.

“I think it’s more beneficial for the government in relation to ensuring that the local economy remains buoyant,” he said. “I’m still trying to explore how the persons that we will represent or we do represent, will benefit from the change. And so again, we are still expecting there to be some form of consultation with our unions so that we can go back to our people and apprise them of the views of the government and how it can benefit them individually in the country nationally.” 

The BPSU president stressed that proper consultation is critical. 

“We have a responsibility to the persons we represent. Once we are provided with the necessary information, we can go back to our people, arrive at a consensus, and give an official response,” he said, proposing a formal poll to allow workers to vote on the matter.

Mr Ferguson also highlighted issues with recent meetings, noting that he and other union leaders, including Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson, attended a meeting on December 13 but waited for over an hour without clarity on the agenda. Regarding a subsequent meeting invitation, Mr Ferguson described it as impromptu, citing prior commitments as the reason for his absence.

Earlier this week, Mrs Glover-Rolle noted that union leaders were informed of the Tuesday meeting but were reportedly unavailable. She added that the Ministry of Finance had not responded to the union’s last-minute notice of their inability to attend, sent after business hours on Friday.

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC announced the bi-weekly pay initiative as part of the 2024-2025 Budget, describing it as a key element of public sector reforms. During the Budget debate, Mr Davis highlighted that bi-weekly payments would provide employees with more frequent paydays, improve cash flow, and potentially reduce reliance on high-interest consumer loans. 

The initiative is part of broader reforms, including electronic salary notifications, online job applications, and the Cloud Bahamas project to digitise the public service. Additionally, Mr Davis announced a $10m allocation to review public sector salaries, which he deemed too low.