NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Minister of Labour & Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle has confirmed that the Ministry of Finance’s meeting with unions, concerning a transition to bi-weekly payments, is currently underway and is “overwhelmingly attended.”
In a brief update from Glover-Rolle she noted that there is “standing room only with an additional 500 members attending online. She said the meeting was “very interactive and going very well!”
The meeting and subsequent update came on the heels of a series of voice notes circulated by President of the Bahamas Union of Teachers Belinda Wilson which alleged that government had not been forthcoming with relevant information concerning the proposed transition and had allegedly given the union a “run around,” regarding face-to-face dialogue.
Former Labour Director John Pinder told Eyewitness News yesterday that while he thinks that the idea is a good one; he has concern that the thrust to bi-weekly, as opposed to the usual monthly salary payment, is whether or not government is making the switch to possibly facilitate “under-the-table contracts for an unnecessary payroll system.”
Pinder also expressed concerns about how successful government employees will be with proper budgeting.
He noted that many public service workers have set payouts/ deductions based on their current salary structure and may not be as disciplined to ensure they remain ahead of their commitments.
He recommended that the government also consider hosting a budgeting workshop or information sessions for government employees on how to navigate the new system before its rollout.
This is a developing story.
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