A fairly peaceful protest yesterday over outstanding hazard pay has led to another promise by government officials to employees at the Ministry of Works.
According to Bahamas Public Service Union President John Pinder, workers renewed their calls for the receipt of unsettled hazardous pay by assembling outside of the ministry’s service station yesterday morning.
“For some time now we’ve been negotiating hazard pay that was due to members at the Ministry of Works and some other government agencies from 2007. We agreed some time ago with the ministry that they would’ve been paid in the last pay package $1,800 that has been retroactive to them since July,” Mr. Pinder said.
“That didn’t happen. Then they said they would’ve done it last week. Again it didn’t happen, so they decided to assemble at the security entrance point that leads to the maintenance section and a part of Water and Sewage. As a result of that, all traffic came to a halt,” he added.
Last February, service came to a halt at the ministry’s service station over unfulfilled promises made by relevant government officials to issue backdated hazardous pay.
Mr. Pinder said although employees can expect to receive their checks as early as this Friday that only takes care of back pay from last July to March 2015.
He said he will remain optimistic that hazardous pay owed since 2007 to last July will be settled by this June.
“I don’t want to say they’re satisfied because we’ve been promised so many times in the past. I think I can say I’m more satisfied that it is at the treasury now. I tried to convince them of that, but they’re not even accepting my word to some extent,” Mr. Pinder said.
“There’s still the question of the amount owed to them since 2007 when they agreed on their hazard pay from 2007 to present,” he added.
Mr. Pinder noted that due to the “run around” given by government officials workers have seemingly lost confidence in the union.
He urged government officials to update workers in a timely manner if they are unable to meet their deadlines.
The employees have decided to work -to- rule until the matter is resolved.
