NASSAU, Bahamas –The Bahamas Government signed a new Industrial Agreement with the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) valued at $40 million and it is retroactive from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025 on Monday, March 27, 2023 at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, Minister of State for the Public Service said the government is very pleased with this agreement.
The Minister of State said, “Of course, this process does not end in terms of the fact that we want to take a bold and transformative approach in reforming the Public Service and we intend to do that hand in hand with all unions and in particular the BPSU when it comes to our public servants.”
The new industrial agreement includes the previously announced increase in the public service minimum wage from $11,450 per year to $13,520 beginning on July 1, 2022.
Other increases include salary increases at multiple levels of the pay scale, resulting in many public servants receiving four to five incremental payments per year in addition to their usual increments.
Disturbance Allowance has been increased from $1,200 to $1,500 per year. Transport Allowance has been increased from $250.00 per month to $300 per month, and Casual Mileage has been increased from $2.00 per mil to $3.00 per mile.
Royal Bahamas Police Force and Defence Force recruits and Department of Correctional Services trainees received an increase in pay from $18,000 per year to $20,000 per year. Within the new agreement, there is also an introduction of a shift premium for all shift workers who work between 6:00 p.m. to 6:00a.m.
The Minister of State explained that the final agreement was the product of a protracted negotiation period in which both the government and union leadership ensured that the best agreement possible was made in the interest of public servants.
“We took our time to ensure that public servants at every level would benefit from the salary increases. We also ensured that essential allowances were increased and those public servants sacrificing by working late shifts are recognized and compensated for their work.”
She credited the Ministry of Public Services’ Labour Relations Unit for its role in taking the lead throughout the successful negotiations. She said that the Davis administration ensured that the Unit was composed of the right balance of team members capable of contributing successfully.
Kimsley Ferguson, President of the Bahamas Public Service Union said the union is excited to proceed with the signing so that public servants can receive their just due moving forward.
Ferguson added that the union will continue to agitate on behalf of public servants’ issues that the union feels must be addressed including hazard allowance or insurance for security officers and an allowance for the cleaning of uniforms for the RBPF and RBDF.
