Wednesday, October 8, 2025
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Digital Editor
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
Prime Minister Philip Davis committed to meeting with union leaders in the coming days as he promised dozens of workers that they will receive payments before Christmas.
He addressed crowds outside the House of Assembly after Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) and the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) presidents Kimsley Ferguson and Belinda Wilson led workers to Parliament chanting “pay us our money”.
Among key issues were unresolved concerns over the delay in government wage increases.
Union executives have previously accused the government of excluding key worker groups and failing to consult unions before announcing the pay increases.
In his message to the crowd today, Mr Davis said: “First of all, the decision to give y'all some money came from me, from my heart. I understood that y'all need that. It was nothing negotiated, I’m trying to help all of you, y'all will be paid and the payment will be before Christmas. You will be paid before Christmas.”
It was announced last month that public servants who missed earlier pay raises would now receive them in December, not in September as previously planned.
The government advised increases will be retroactive to September, with each employee receiving at least two salary increments, though the size of the increases will vary by category.
Comments
Sickened says...
Paid before Christmas!!! ROFL. That means that election coming before Christmas because this man has intention of paying these people nothing - ain't no money in the bank to pay them with.
Posted 8 October 2025, 2:10 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
PLPs have been in a freefall and some say it's only going to get worse for 20 ministerial level members of the crown and most parliamentary securities. Hard to put the finger on why the premiership won't reshuffle his cabinet rather than risk calling a general election. ---- It has been difficult for "Brave" not to use his last option **to attempt** resetting the government's functionality as it lags in the polls'. --- Yes?
Posted 8 October 2025, 2:38 p.m. Suggest removal
Sickened says...
Yup. After the raid the cookie jar and then dump out all the crumbs they tend to give up and hand the reigns over to the FNM knowing full well that only the FNM have the intellectual capacity to bring the country back from the cliff.
Posted 8 October 2025, 3:33 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
@ComradeSickend, don't think voters are that committed to the king's much divided official opposition. Shortly after the general election a new sitting of the House of Assembly will begin. --- Tis up for grabs **as to who of the old and new faces'** sits on opposite sides of its floor. --- Yes?
Posted 8 October 2025, 3:57 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
WTF? 🤣🤣🤣🤣😳😳😳🤪🤪🤪 The PLP and FNM are equally responsible for where we now find ourselves. Neither one has ever demonstrated an iota of "intellectual capacity" to do anything with sense 🤣🤣🤣🤣😳😳😳🤪🤪🤪
Posted 8 October 2025, 4:54 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
Bingo!
Posted 8 October 2025, 4:59 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
What will the Fnm do different
The cookie jar the utterance of the Fnm papa. Bahamians do not like to pay taxes and there is no money tree.
Posted 8 October 2025, 3:51 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Nice picture of ms Wilson did the teachers teach today or did they go to the house of assembley??
Posted 8 October 2025, 3:56 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
"*First of all, the decision to give y'all some money came from me, from my heart. I understood that y'all need that. It was nothing negotiated, I’m trying to help all of you, y'all will be paid and the payment will be before Christmas. You will be paid before Christmas.”*"
"*came from ME*"???? Is this Mr Davis money?
Posted 8 October 2025, 4:29 p.m. Suggest removal
joeblow says...
... people should be offended that they are playing politics with the public purse AGAIN!! The taxes get passed on the the shrinking middle class who have to pay for everything! Sad!
Posted 8 October 2025, 4:40 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
This most corrupt and unfair foolishness in using the public purse to buy votes in the run up to a national general election could easily be stopped if all taxpayers immediately stopped paying their taxes and fees of every kind for a few weeks, by which time Davis, Cooper, Halkitis, and Wilson, would all be the first ones forced to resign in disgrace from their government positions.
Posted 8 October 2025, 4:56 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Being a better earnings, educated and less segregated popoulaces' than in 1967, we must take into account, being that the Bahamas' income per popoulaces', has increased significantly since 1967, what it could've reached beyond today's estimated $36,780 in 2025. --- The largest moving from poverty to the middle class from early earnings' $2,453 in 1967. Far from as bad as some make it be. --- Although the reach by a more educated and less segregated popoulaces'....could've, should've topped the USD$45,000 to USD$50,000** in per popoulces' yearly earnings. --- Maybe a united DNA/COI government will raise even greater USD$50,000 in yearly earnings across struggling segments' popoulaces. --- Yes
Posted 8 October 2025, 5:47 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
If it is true that the unions had nothing to do with this increase what are they protest
Mr Ferguson was against this increase because he said the unions power will decrease. IT IS PROBABLY A FNM PINTARD HU RURR THE TOGGIE AND BOGGIE MAN
Posted 8 October 2025, 6:13 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
The Fnm agenda for sure the sands was there who's government opened airports for the rich and put poor people in jail for going to the pump the heart man with no heart just lots and lots of buttocks lest we forget
Posted 8 October 2025, 7:47 p.m. Suggest removal
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