Government negotiators called a press conference at the Department of Public Service to clarify what they said were “misconceptions” regarding the new civil servants contract.
Bahamas Public Service Union President John Pinder explained that each civil servant will receive the $700 payment and will also get a $100 per month raise effective January 2006.
In July 2006, they will get another $50 per month salary increase and the following year they will get raises based on the results of a compensation study the government expects to carry out.
Officials explained that the government will examine salary scales during the study.
In July 2008, civil servants will receive another $62 per month raise and in 2009, the fifth year of the contract, there will be a high performance evaluation conducted.
An employee who is at the maximum of his or her salary scale and achieves an above average performance appraisal rating may be awarded a lump sum payment equal to the increment of his or her salary scale.
An employee who displays what is considered average performance will receive only the increment to which he or she is entitled. An employee who performs above average will receive more than the increment and an employee who displays outstanding performance will receive more than the above average increment.
“The high performance evaluation system is designed to give employees a range of salary increases based on their performance,” explained Keith Archer, one of the government’s negotiators.
Mr. Pinder said the high performance evaluation system will encourage reform and improved efficiency in the public service.
“The fifth year of the contract which speaks to the high performance evaluation system is more like a bonus pay system whereas in addition to your increment you get extra money depending on your evaluation and your performance that year,” he said.
“So if you perform above average, you would get more than a person who performs as an average employee.”
The negotiators stressed that increments will be paid every year and despite the misconception, those increments will not be discontinued.
Mr. Archer also informed that the same offer was made to The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), but he said its executives have rejected the government’s proposal.
“Unless there is an agreement between the Bahamas Union of Teachers and the government, [salary increases] will not be paid before Christmas [for teachers],” he told reporters.
“It is to be noted that the government wants to pay the salary [increases], but if it is not paid it is not because the government does not want to. It is because we have been unable, despite our best efforts, to reach an agreement with the executive of the Bahamas Union of Teachers.”
Mr. Archer said the government is still prepared at this late stage to resume negotiations with the BUT before Christmas on the salary increases.
The government is also negotiating a new industrial agreement with the nurses union.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
