By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

AFTER years of stalled negotiations and mounting tension, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) have signed a long-awaited industrial agreement, a move hailed as a major breakthrough in healthcare labour relations in The Bahamas.

The five-year agreement, retroactive to 2021 and extending through 2026, will benefit approximately 127 consultant physicians. While the total financial impact remains undetermined pending insurance calculations, the deal introduces upgrades to salaries, leave, and healthcare benefits.

Among the key provisions: paternity leave of up to 15 days, adoption leave of up to 12 weeks for children under one, and six weeks for older children. All CPSA members will also now be enrolled in the Bahamas Government’s Group Medical Insurance Plan. Salary increases will be phased in over the final three years: ten percent in year three, followed by 7.5 percent increases in years four and five.

The signing ends a contentious period that began when the last agreement expired in 2020. Talks were repeatedly bogged down over issues such as biometric swipe-in systems, health insurance access, and expanded leave.

One major sticking point was the PHA’s push to implement a swipe-in system to track physicians’ hours. While intended to bolster accountability, the CPSA argued it failed to account for off-site duties like consultations and administrative work. A compromise has since been reached, with a new framework acknowledging physicians’ varied responsibilities beyond hospital walls. However, officials did not elaborate on the resolution yesterday.

Despite delays, both parties say the final agreement reflects a shared commitment to compromise.

“Nobody’s ever 100 percent satisfied, but we think both sides have some benefit and there is more room to negotiate,” said CPSA President Dr Charelle Lockhart. “We are happy with where we are at this particular point.”

Health Minister Dr Michael Darville called the agreement a testament to the government’s commitment to fairness and improved working conditions in the public health system.

PHA managing director Aubynette Rolle confirmed that negotiations will resume in 2026, once the current agreement lapses.

Minister of Labour Pia Glover-Rolle framed the deal as part of a wider government strategy to modernise labour relations across the public sector.

“This agreement represents a culmination of the efforts of everyone that is a stakeholder in this process,” she said. “Through improved social dialogue and enhanced labour relations, we are delivering on our promise to treat labour issues with the importance they deserve.”

Government officials said the CPSA pact is the 57th industrial agreement signed under the Davis administration, following a similar recent agreement with the Bahamas Doctors Union.