By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson says teachers are preparing to decide how they will escalate industrial action as anger intensifies over the government’s salary adjustments, warning: “it ain’t long now.”

Ms Wilson said yesterday she had circulated a second poll to determine “what form of industrial action we’re going to take and when and what time,” stressing that industrial action extends beyond marching or protesting.

Her remarks follow a vote by teachers to take action. A union survey released on Sunday showed 87.8 percent of respondents supported industrial action and 92 percent backed taking a strike vote, though it was unclear how many teachers participated in the poll. The vote came after Ms Wilson sharply criticised the government’s recent salary increases — which she said ranged from $150, $200 and $341 — as “crumbs”.

She said civil servants were frustrated that some workers received more than $3,000, with payments retroactive to September 2024, and have demanded clarity on how the increases were calculated.

Last week, Office of the Prime Minister Director of Communications Latrae Rahming said more than 17,000 civil servants received adjustments, costing the government $20m annually.

Prime Minister Philip Davis previously said he was surprised by the backlash, noting the increases were not negotiated but rather something he “gave to them”. He said: “They will have an opportunity during the course of their negotiations for their new industrial agreements to raise those issues there.”

Responding yesterday, Ms Wilson said: “I don't know why the Prime Minister would be surprised of the reaction of civil servants,” noting that unions had met with him, marched on Parliament twice, and submitted letters and messages outlining their concerns. She said teachers expected increases “between two percent and eight percent” based on statements Mr Davis made publicly and in meetings.

She said government messaging about the salary review was misleading, arguing that only middle management and technical officers were assessed. “It is not a gift,” she said. “The funds did not come out of the Prime Minister's personal bank account or the Prime Minister's pocket. It’s the taxpayers’ money.”

“The second thing is, it is not a gift, because in our previous industrial agreements we have in those agreements where there shall be a salary review or a compensation study, deriving from the compensation study, we should get raises that will be equivalent to what the gaps are that the study would have uncovered.

“So the prime minister said that they did a comprehensive salary review that was not so. The salary review was only middle management and technical officers. So if they did a comprehensive salary review, then they would know what the gaps would the gaps are truly, and they would be able to peg the salaries based on the recommendations from the salary review.”

Union leaders across the public service have criticised the rollout, saying some workers received meagre adjustments while others received nothing at all. The increases, which award at least two increments retroactive to September, are part of a phased effort to narrow gaps between public service salaries and wider public-sector wages.

The first phase targeted middle management at the end of June; the second covers the remainder of the service. Union leaders say they still do not know whether the exercise is complete, given that many civil servants have yet to receive payments.

Ms Wilson said teachers remain dissatisfied and are preparing to escalate their response. “So stay tuned,” she said. “Ain’t long now.”