Admitting that the Employment Act is silent on the question of a paid lunch hour, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Fred Mitchell moved today to assure civil servants that their wages would not be affected by a provision in the Act that requires a shorter workweek of 40 hours.
The provision, which became effective on February 1, 2003 will affect the vast majority of civil servants on Monday, as the government reduces the hours of operation for government offices from 9 a.m. to 5p.m.
“There should be no net decrease in the weekly pay packet of any employee in the public service as a result of the change in the hours of work,” Minister Mitchell said. “As a result of the weekly pay of public service employees remaining the same although working four hours less each week, there will be a net increase of 28 cents per hour for hourly paid government workers.”
Private sector employees, however, will not enjoy the guarantee of their weekly pay not being reduced.
Although the government has made a policy decision that there would be no net decrease in weekly salaries as a result of the labour laws, Minister Mitchell said there is no legislative provision to require private employers to adjust the hourly rate of pay for their employees to maintain their current weekly salary after the workweek is reduced.
A few businesspersons have said that their businesses will be adversely affected by the provision that requires their employees to work lesser hours.
Even with the change, the government says the overall aim is to enhance efficiency and productivity in the public service.
Minister Mitchell called the press conference in conjunction with the president of the Bahamas Public Services Union John Pinder. He commended the government for sticking to its commitment to implement the new provision and not delay it.
The law applies to all employees in The Bahamas except members of the disciplined forces that includes the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Prison Services.
According to Minister Mitchell the Public Holidays Act mandates that government offices should be open and available for service to the public at 9:30 am, allowing employees half an hour to open and prepare operations. Services to the public end at 4:30 pm and the business day for public service employees will end at 5:00 pm.
Mr. Mitchell said that is the present law and that situation will continue to exist.
Speaking about the paid lunch break issue Mr. Mitchell said the government already pays for employees’ lunch hour as a part of the eight hour work day. That arrangement will remain unchanged he said.
Minister Mitchell said the Employment Act is silent on the issue of a paid lunch, therefore a paid lunch hour is only included where it is a pre-existing contractual arrangement.
For employees who presently enjoy a paid lunch hour, the Employment Act requires that the benefit cannot be withdrawn. For those employees whose contracts of employment do not include a paid lunch hour, the existing condition will continue.
Minister Mitchell said it is his “personal mission and view” that after school care and a proper transportation system ought to be provided for the public school system so that parents would not have to leave the workplace collect their children.
He said this will help to contribute to on the job productivity.
Mr. Mitchell said he hopes all public service employees will continue to give their best with the new work hours. The overall aim, he said, is to improve the productivity and efficiency of the public service.
By Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
