Labour Director John Pinder said while he sympathizes with union members, yesterday’s protest by the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) was unnecessary. 

Quoting former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, Mr. Pinder said, “It’s better to have half a slice of bread than none at all.”

He was referring to Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis offering to pay union members the $1,200 owed to to them in $600 increments.

“If the government has committed to giving you a lump sum payment of $1,200 in two installments, I think that was reasonable. I don’t think they were being unreasonable,” he said.

“When I was union president, I always said to my members, ‘we’ll only demonstrate when we find it necessary.’ That means all doors are closed or the employer is not communicating or reasonable in what they’re offering.”

According to the labour director, there is a meeting scheduled on Saturday at 10 a.m. where the government plans to speak to all trade union leaders in the public sector. 

He said the Ministry of Finance is also slated to present the country’s financial position at that time and officials from the Chamber of Commerce are also set to sit in on this meeting.