Seven public service workers could not be placed in health ministry or vaccination centers due to unvaccinated status
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Minister of State for Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle yesterday sought to set the record straight regarding public service hires ahead of the General Election, accusing the former government of “electioneering”.
Glover-Rolle was responding to comments from former Minister Brensil Rolle, who defended the former administration’s hiring practices.
He had hit back at the state minister over allegations that hundreds of new people were hired in the public service ahead of the general election and around 40 remain at home receiving a full salary because of an inability to place them.
The former minister condemned the claims, calling them “untrue” and “cannot be substantiated”.
Yesterday, Glover-Rolle said the “unvarnished facts” are that 233 persons were approved by the former government for employment in July 2021 — just two months before the September 16 polls.
Of that number 85 remain unposted because upon assuming office, the Davis administration placed an immediate hold on those hires pending a status review.
Glover-Rolle indicated that 68 people hired before the election were already placed on the government’s payroll, however, they are under review due to “gross attendance irregularities”.
She added that this did not include those individuals unposed because they are unvaccinated.
While he said he would not engage in a back and forth with the current minister, Rolle told Eyewitness News yesterday that those unvaccinated individuals were not posted because they were initially deployed to the Ministry of Health and COVID-19 vaccination centers.
He said that the government had taken a position that in order to work in those centers, individuals would need to be vaccinated for their safety.
He noted that those seven individuals were among the first group to be deployed, however, they were not vaccinated at the time and could not be placed with the remaining of the group in those areas.
He said the election was soon called after they were posted and those individuals were caught in the transition of governments because they could not go in their ministries prior.
Glover-Rolle insisted yesterday that Rolle “must answer” for the way the Minnis administration gave individuals “official letters” of employment, but with nowhere to report, or to have them report to agencies that in turn sent them back to the Public Service.
“Responsible hiring practices call for the placement of individuals in posts that are needed, complete with established and approved job descriptions and not rushed hiring of individuals for posts that are unavailable,” she charged.
“Additionally, responsible leadership in public administration demands that the engagement of skilled workers in critical areas that lead to defined career paths should be the standard practice if we are committed to building organizational capacity to consistently improve on the delivery of public goods and services.”
She added: “Regrettably, all indications are that the hiring decisions by the former Minister in the lead up to the General Elections smacked of electioneering, heavily influenced by political considerations and nothing Mr. Rolle said to the media in his defense remotely addressed or refuted the facts as presented above.
“We however remain committed to addressing these issues in an efficient and objective manner and will provide further updates to the public as soon as practical.
The fiscal year begins July 1st and that’s when the new budget takes effect. New hires would usually be hired at this time. Further, was the election called in July? Who knew the election would be in September? The new Minister neefs to just make sure people are handled fairly.