NASSAU, Bahamas – Prime Minister Phillip Davis says he will not meet with trade union officials on matters concerning public sector workers, after one of the unions threatened a national strike on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Phillip Davis (File Photo)“After careful consideration, I have decided not to proceed with that meeting. Instead, I will speak directly to the Bahamian people and to the workers of this nation, the men and women whose effort, care, and service form the backbone of our country,” Prime Minister Davis said in a statement.
He said that on Monday, he met with the leadership of the Bahamas Union of Teachers and other union representatives “to continue our discussions on matters concerning public officers”.
Davis said that he went to that meeting in good faith and with a clear purpose to work together for the benefit of the Bahamian people, but that following the meeting, the President of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), Belinda Wilson, made a public statement threatening a national strike and requesting a further meeting for Tuesday.
Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.
“Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay — thousands of dollars — backdated to September of last year. We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned,” Wilson said.”
Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas, a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.
Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), president, Kimsley Ferguson, speaking after the meeting, told reporters, the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.
“The Prime Minister was receptive, but we’re not accepting excuses. If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers,” Ferguson said, adding that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, the unions would “visit the House of Assembly” and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.
But in his statement, Prime Minister Davis said his government stands with Bahamian workers.
“From the beginning, our mission has been to make life better for those who work hard every day, our teachers, nurses, uniformed officers, and the thousands of public servants who give of themselves for our country.
“That is why we initiated a national salary review. This review was not done at the request of any union; it was done because my Government believes Bahamian workers deserve better. We wanted to look carefully and independently at how salaries across the public service can be made fairer and more reflective of the value of the work you do.”
Prime Minister Davis said he can now confirm that the government will make that review public.
“Bahamians deserve to see for themselves the effort that has gone into ensuring fairness and equity in how we reward those who serve. If the question is one of payment, let me say again. Every public servant will be paid before Christmas. The Ministry of Finance and the Treasury have been working to ensure this, and I am satisfied that they are on course to deliver.”
He said that the agreements between the government and the unions remain in place, and the government will continue to honour them.
“Some of these are approaching renewal, and as we move forward, we will do so with respect, transparency, and a commitment to the long-term wellbeing of workers and their families.
I understand the pressures many families are facing. I know the cost of living has stretched household budgets. That is precisely why this Government has been acting, not waiting, to make things better.”
Prime Minister Davis said he is asking the workers of the country to stand with him.
“Let us choose partnership over division and dialogue over confrontation. When we work together, we achieve more for everyone. The Bahamas will always move forward when we act in unity and good faith, when we put the people first. That is the path my government is committed to,” he added.
