BY CLEMIA NEELY

Journal Staff Writer

After a seemingly inordinate period of on and off negotiations, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) signed an agreement on Thursday that authorities say marks a pivotal step forward towards better labour relations in healthcare in The Bahamas. The signing means that the government has successfully completed nearly 60 labour agreements since coming to office in 2021.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Michael Darville, shared that this agreement reflects a significant milestone in labour relations within the healthcare system.

“A strong, respectful labour relationship is fundamental to any resilient healthcare system.  We at the Ministry of Health believe that this agreement reflects our shared commitment to fair treatment and compensation benefits to our workers and the well-being of our physicians who play a vital role in the delivery of quality healthcare services across the country,” he stated.

“This new industrial agreement between the PHA and the Consultant Physicians Staff Association is a testament to the power of open dialogue and mutual respect.  We extend our gratitude to the CPSA leadership and our team at the PHA for their dedication throughout this complex negotiation.”

Aubynette Rolle, Managing Director of the Public Hospital Authority, highlighted that this is something that has been in the works for a long time, and that it came with a lot of negotiations.

She said, “Some of the key highlights that I wish to express to the Bahamian public in this agreement include the enhancement of the leave benefits for our senior physicians.  We’re also proud in this leave that we’ve included paternity leave for male CPSA members.”

“We’ve always extended to some extent in our agreements as it relates to females, ensuring through the Employment Act, etc. that they have time off to attend to their newborns.  But now we are extending that to the male population at a maximum of 15 days. And that’s quite a bit to be able to help that new mother, supporting family values and work-life balance, she said.”

Dr. Charelle Lockhart, president of the Consultant Physicians Staff Association emphasized the fact that “we have all worked very hard on both sides to make sure that we have come to an agreement that everybody is happy and comfortable with at this time.  It did take us a long time…and I am so pleased to know that our employer, the government, the PHA, is so appreciative of what we do for the Bahamian public. And we are continuing to commit to the Bahamian public to take the best care of them that we can with what we have.”

The Minister of Labour and Public Service, Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, stated that the last few steps of negotiation took the longest to complete, not because of lack of desire in any way to come to the agreement, but due to the need to move forward carefully to ensure that all parties have signed on to terms that they are satisfied and comfortable with.

“The journey today has been well documented, as all of those who spoke prior to me have noted, and there have been, as in negotiations, there are some ups, some downs, but through it all, we remained optimistic that an agreement not only was possible, but that it would happen sooner than later,” Minister Glover-Rolle said.

She continued, “we have arrived today at a point of consensus, and we are all grateful.  This agreement represents a culmination of the efforts of everyone that is a stakeholder in this agreement process. Through today’s agreement, we have ensured progress towards improved compensation, increased compensation, improved benefits, and fair standards for all doctors now working in the public health care system.”

Earlier this week, government officials touted the fact that they had successfully concluded 60 outstanding labour agreements.  Health officials say as these organizations work together in an environment where physicians can feel valued, and patients receive the best possible care “everyone can be proud of the improvements that are taking place in our public healthcare system.”