By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis last night accused some union leaders of “grandstanding and public drama” after they called for nationwide industrial action, saying he would not take part in any process clouded by such threats or theatrics.

His national address came after the Bahamas Union of Teachers and the Bahamas Public Service Union urged public servants to take action today following stalled negotiations over pay. In a voice note playing the song Power to the People, BUT president Belinda Wilson urged members in New Providence to gather at the City Market parking lot on Market Street this morning before marching to the House of Assembly. She called on public servants in Grand Bahama to assemble in front of the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport, while Family Island members were asked to stay home.

The prime minister hit back last night at what he called unnecessary posturing from some union leaders, insisting that his administration’s record of action on behalf of workers speaks for itself.

He stressed that the salary review was not a reaction to union pressure but a deliberate policy choice he initiated to ensure fairness in public sector pay. He said the process was “not the unions, not anyone else”, but one his administration started “because I believed Bahamian workers deserved more”.

“Some have asked what the grievance really is. There is no grievance here,” he said. “The grandstanding and public drama do not change the fact that this government is paying workers as promised. So the question must be asked, is the objection to the fact that we are paying? Surely, no one can object to fairness being delivered.”

Mr Davis said he met with union leaders on Monday to discuss the national salary review his administration initiated, and that both sides had agreed to continue talks yesterday. However, he said one union leader publicly threatened a national strike before the meeting could resume. “When both sides are still talking, the respectful thing to do is to finish the conversation,” he said.

His office released the national salary review report last night, calling it the most comprehensive assessment of public service pay in decades. He said the findings show that since his administration took office in 2021, public officers have received salary increases every year, with entry-level workers benefiting most from consistent reassessments and increments. He assured public servants they would be paid before Christmas, noting that delays were due to administrative processes rather than cash flow issues.

“The union leaders have to do their jobs, to represent their members,” Mr Davis said. “But I have to do mine, to represent all Bahamians. My responsibility is not only to one group, but to every citizen who depends on a strong, stable country.”

He cautioned that workers must not be “pawns when we disagree”, adding: “When politics, personal ambition, or theatrics replace genuine advocacy, it is the workers who suffer, and I will never allow that to happen.”

Mr Davis, who invoked his parents’ legacy as trade unionists, said he values respectful dialogue but will not tolerate intimidation. “I don’t believe in shouting matches or grandstanding,” he said. “Cussing and carrying on don’t work for Brave. We are adults, and we should act like it. Real progress happens when grown men and women sit down, listen, and reason with each other.”

The current dispute stems from frustration over pay disparities between senior administrators and lower-level staff, as well as unresolved promotions, transfers, and unpaid overtime. Officials have said those excluded from earlier adjustments will receive at least two increments in December, retroactive to September 1, and that $10m has been set aside for the review.

Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle has said her ministry has made “significant progress” on long-standing issues and that payment logistics are being handled by the Ministry of Finance. Mrs Wilson and BPSU president Kimsley Ferguson, however, have accused officials of failing to produce Cabinet conclusions and detailed salary lists, and of shifting the goalposts on unresolved matters.

Mr Davis said while he welcomes good-faith negotiations, he will not be drawn into confrontation. “This is not a moment for shouting; it’s a moment for solutions,” he said. “If some people are upset because my Government decided to raise the pay of Bahamian workers after years of stagnation, if that decision offends them, my only response is this: I don’t need permission to do the right thing.”