After seven months of intense negotiations and a series of industrial actions, officials of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) yesterday signed an industrial agreement with the government for improved conditions for workers at the Gaming Board. The agreement is for five years and is valued at more than $400,000.
BPSU President John Pinder said that even though there were some hurdles, negotiations, for the most part ran smoothly. He also pointed to what he considered important aspects of the negotiations.
“We are pleased that for the most part the items that were addressed in the contract were to our satisfaction,” Mr. Pinder said at an interview at the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
“We were able to get the $1,500 lump sum payment for our members in the first year of the contract. For the second year of the contract we were able to get $1,100 added to their base salaries.
“In the third year of the contract we will again look at the compensation study that would make adjustments to salaries in some cases. In the fourth year of the contract another $1,100 would be added to their base salaries.
“The last year of the contract would again focus on the performance clause.”
Mr. Pinder added that the increased benefits of the contract come with certain privileges that the staff at the Gaming Board originally enjoyed.
“We were able to get an increase on assistance for travel and clarity on postings in other islands where they could be transferred to while giving them the right to negotiate the transfer if it is not in their best interest,” he explained.
“The flexi-time was also very important. We believe that flexi-time is the answer to ensuring that some of the traffic congestion on the street could be cleared up.”
Chairman of the Gaming Board, Kenyatta Gibson, described the agreement as a fair and equitable one. He cited initiatives like the performance clause as significant additions.
“The government of The Bahamas is in the business of being fair to both workers and taxpayers alike, and I think that this deal manifests that particular endeavor on behalf of the government,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.
“I think that it is important that we look at the performance-based initiatives that are in this particular industrial agreement.
“We are stepping forward with the help of our partners in the labour movement to make sure that we create a merit-based and performance-enhanced workplace.”
Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Peet was also on hand for yesterday’s signing.
He commended both sides of the negotiation table for the way negotiations were handled.
“The environment in which one negotiates is very important to the end result,” Mr. Peet said on Wednesday. “This is one of those negotiations that I followed from a distance, which was good.
“My Department of Labour was not called in to do anything with this one except to watch and assure that the rules were followed. So it is good to have a relationship were parties could sit down, negotiate between themselves and advise us at the Department of Labour to come and make it official.
“We are happy that there is a much more mature relationship developing in this country between the responsible union leaders and management, both public and private sector managers.”
The minister added that this agreement is the 52nd industrial agreement signed under his government.
By: Perez Clarke, The Bahama Journal
