Prime Minister Phillip Davis has appealed to public sector workers to take into consideration the existing socio-economic conditions in The Bahamas as trade unions plan mass demonstrations across the country on Wednesday in support of their demands for the payment of salary increases to their members.
The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) have called on workers to march in downtown Nassau, with the BUT urging teachers in Grand Bahama to gather outside the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Freeport, and for Family Island teachers to stay at home.
Prime Minister Phillip Davis addressing the nation on the labour dispute
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 government.
‘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,’ said BUT President, Belinda Wilson.
But In a national broadcast on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Davis said that he was appealing directly to the workers saying that when he came into office in 2021, ‘we met a country still recovering from crises.
‘The economy was fragile. Thousands of Bahamians were out of work. Public finances were under strain. And within the public service, morale was low. Salaries had been stagnant. Promotions were delayed. Contract workers were stuck in limbo. Pensioners were struggling to live on fixed incomes that hadn’t been adjusted in years.’
Davis said that over the past four years, the government has worked steadily to restore fairness, dignity, and opportunity for workers.
‘We restored annual increments in the public service, those small but important step increases that reward years of service. For thousands of public officers, that meant more money in their pockets every year and an acknowledgment of their dedication.
‘We raised the national minimum wage for the first time in seven years, from US$210 to US$260 a week. That single decision increased take-home pay by nearly a quarter for the lowest-paid workers in this country. For many families, it meant an extra bag of groceries, a school uniform, or a light bill paid on time.’
He said that the government has negotiated and signed over 59 labour agreements, providing new wage increases, better allowances, modernized benefits, and clear career paths.
‘And still, with all of this progress, I was not satisfied. I knew we could do more for the men and women who serve this country every day. That’s why I initiated the national salary review, not the unions, not anyone else. I did it because I believed Bahamian workers deserved more. That is how we got to this moment.’
Prime Minister Davis said that he met with the leadership of the BUT and other public service unions, discussing the national salary review as well as the process the government initiated to ensure every public servant is paid fairly.
He said ‘we reviewed the findings, exchanged ideas’ and agreed to meet for further discussions.
‘But while we were still at the table, one of the union leaders made a public threat to call a national strike if I did not agree to the terms being demanded. Now, I understand emotions. I understand frustration. People want results. But when both sides are still talking, the respectful thing to do is to finish the conversation.’
Prime Minister Davis said that so instead of continuing under that kind of dynamic, he has decided to speak directly to the Bahamian people.
‘Here’s where we are. The national salary review is complete, and it will be made public. While the review did not include every category of public servants, the same methodology will be applied to ensure increases are extended across the wider public service.’
He said that the findings show that since coming to office in 2021, public officers have received salary increases every year, and that entry-level workers, the ones earning the least, have benefited the most with the consistency and regularity of their reassessments, salary adjustments, and increments, ensuring that these officers received their due in a structured, timely way, after many years of delay.
‘We did this because we made a decision to put workers first. Some have asked about the delay. The delay was not a cash flow problem. It was an administrative process, making sure the new salary adjustments for more than fifteen thousand public officers were accurate, fair, and done right the first time.
‘I am satisfied we have resolved the issue, and I want to reassure every public servant that you will be paid before Christmas,’ Davis said, adding ‘the union leaders have to do their jobs, to represent their members.
‘But I have to do mine, to represent all Bahamians. My responsibility is not only to one group, but to every citizen who depends on a strong, stable country. Some have asked what the grievance really is. There is no grievance here.
‘The grandstanding and public drama do not change the fact that this Government is paying workers as promised. So the question must be asked, is the objection to the fact that we are paying? Surely, no one can object to fairness being delivered.’
Prime Minister Davis said he will on Thursday meet with other trade union leaders to continue the national conversation about how ‘we keep moving forward together’ adding ‘I have always respected the role of unions in our national story.
‘I believe discussions work best when there is mutual respect and trust. I have always been a respectful and patient listener, and I am open to any conversation held in good faith. But I will not take part in any process where dark clouds of threats hang over the table.
‘That is not how I was raised, and that is not how I lead. I don’t believe in shouting matches or grandstanding,’ Davis said, adding ‘ I will not sit in any room where respect is not mutual and shouting is the only tool on the table’.