Govt. intends to regularize contract workers, says minister

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The government is seeking to regularize hundreds of public service workers on contracts this year, according to Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle.

“It is our hope that we can take another great step forward this year, and that is to cause individuals who have been with the 52-weeks program for example, if they are performing and making additions to the service, we will engage them,” Rolle told reporters, in a recent interview.

“So we are taking some steps to bring some relief to some individuals who claim they have no relief.”

Rolle noted that some public service workers have contracts that have expired and are now working on a month-to-month basis.

“We are looking also at local government workers, as well as the Ministry of Education has some workers,” he continued.

“We are trying to regularize individuals who are in the service.”

While he could not say at the time how many workers would be included in this initiative, Rolle said there are over 300 workers in local government alone.

He further categorically denied any accusations that the government has fired a large number of people since coming to office.

“We separated those individuals whose contracts had expired, but we kept a significant number of individuals who were contracted and we had them work in various ministries,” he said.

Last year, during the 2019/2020 budget debate, Rolle noted that the government had re-engaged 1,600 people to the public service since coming into office in 2017.

He indicated that at that time there had been 336 new appointments on temporary month-to-month terms or on 12 months probation; 249 appointments to the permanent and pensionable establishment; 422 confirmations on appointments, 1,217 re-employments and 53 engagements on contract.