By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

ALL public sector employees will now have access to health insurance coverage, said Minister of Labour and the Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle yesterday - and added that there will be pay increases of two to eight percent in the public service coming in September.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mrs Glover-Rolle said an additional $7.9m has been allocated to the ministry’s 2025/2026 budget for insurance premiums and increased benefits negotiated by labour unions.

She said that although health insurance coverage was traditionally negotiated by trade unions, all public sector employees will now be eligible to participate.

“Insurance premiums for personnel increased by $7.9m to accommodate annual premium increases and enhanced insurance benefits resulting from labour agreements,” said Mrs Glover-Rolle.

“This investment in public servant health coverage represents a fundamental commitment to employee wellbeing. In fact, this is the first time ever that health insurance will be offered to every public servant. Before, whether insurance was offered or not depended on union agreements, but now all public servants will have access to health insurance coverage.”

She said 2,400 middle management public servants would receive salary increases at the end of this month with broader pay raises of two to eight percent for the rest of the public service coming in September.

“Beginning at the end of June, 2,400 mid-level public servants will receive increases ranging up to 8 percent. And just a few months from now, in September, thousands more public servants below the mid-level will receive increases. This represents the most significant compensation improvement for public servants in decades,” said Mrs Glover-Rolle.

“That will be approximately $7m at the end of this month in a matter of days in additional funds in the pockets of public servants from Abaco to Inagua. Additionally, falling under Finance, you will see new funding for health insurance coverage, which is what enables us, for the first time ever, to provide health insurance coverage for every single public servant.”