BPSU Members Accept 1.25% Pay Increase
Last night [May 17], 75% of those BPSU members who cast a ballot voted to accept the Government’s offer of a 1.25% pay increase. This pay increase was first offered to the BPSU in January 2011, but members agreed, at that time, to put off any decision until later. The 1.25% increase will be backdated to 1st October 2010.
Last month members of the BPSU marched on Cabinet and presented a letter to the Acting Premier Michael Scott, which requested that there be no compulsory redundancies, reasonable steps to work towards a price freeze for essential goods, and that Ministers consider a salary cut,
…….One reason to vote OBA. At least they will get rid off lazy government workers. Bermuda can’t afford this increase.
Did the OBA say that? You might know more then the rest of us!
@Vote OBA – your statement does not seem to make sense when you clearly look at the facts of the matter:
1. The BPSU Members had refused this increase for several months, citing the need to save jobs versus taking the increase.
2. The Union additionally offered the idea of a wage freeze – again, citing the need to save jobs versus firing workers.
The GOV never moved on their position – “Take this money because we don’t want to have to deal with you.” The UNION did not want the money – they wanted to save jobs and help fellow Bermudians during this tough economic climate – - It is your government which refused to play ball.
However, as you have clearly identified yourself as a support of the OBA, I am sure that you believe your new party will be able to sort out this crisis without too many problems. I wish whoever leads the best of luck.
You are confusing. You are now telling us that the BPSU didn’t want an increase, and refused it already? So what the hell was the point of the vote yesterday, to say you changed your mind? Why didn’t the union reject the increase and say no! Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
CLARITY– I thought it was rather self-explanatory. No Increase = No and until government could gurantee saftey of all jobs.
Obviously, what seems to be missing from this simple equation is that government moved the ball, agreed to safeguard all jobs + the increase…
That makes even less sense.. So the union, wanted to take a freeze, but voted for an increase?
Exhausting all options perhaps??
Uh the Union needed to listen to the budget speech then and it would have saved a lot of peoples time and hot breath. The Finance Ministers stated that all full time positions would be secured!!! Hello the whole country heard that except the UNION BOSSES!!!! Does someone have a hidden agenda?
“To categorically lump all Government workers as inept or unable or lazy is IGNORANT. There is and will always be an arrogance coupled with laziness in ANY organization where the productivity of an individual is assessed by his or her attitude or overall WORK ETHIC. Don’t get confused people IGNORANCE does not exclude those who post rhetoric comments.”
THE OBA still will still have to face many of the challenges with government workers as the previous successors. So, don’t think that the OBA will come in and wave a magic wand.
Why why would anyone with a good work ethic need t hide behind the union? If you work hard and are a good producer the employer usually rewards you now if you are slothful the employer should get rid of you or not advance your position.
Being part of a union, no matter how hard you work if you do not have seniority, it sucks to be you when it comes time to lay someone off.
Bravo. Clearly you missed the jist of the earlier comment. VOTE FOR OBA– suggested that the first clearance or order of agenda would be to fire lazy government workers. They did not specify some or part of the government. Furthermore, the highlighted text was put in quotations as it was captured from an earlier article. Secondly, here’s some factual information that may assist, ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES do not hide behind the UNION. As a matter of interest, ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES are required to be apart of the union as a mandate of one’s civil service. Either that or select a charity of choice.
And with that in mind, the work ethics of many as you have rightly coined have nothing to do with the union which was the argument that I indicated in the first place. The issue at hand has little to do with hiding behind the union, but merely acknowledging that there are SOME government workers who have a good work ethic and the ability to produce despite the disparaging image others have taken.
Point also to note: Even if you select a charity of choice, the UNION makes a decision for the whole of government, irrespective of whether or not you choose to be a member or not.
All I am simply saying is the increase in a civil servant’s salary serves to be far less demanding that the pay cut that MINISTERS in general need to take. And if our current Premier in her capacity can make such a suggestion, (that will in turn be debated and possibly thrown out at the next Cabinet memorandum) than what other recourse do civil servants have?
Suffice to say, I am sure we can agree to disagree and I do believe that the BPSU along with the BIU are not as PRO-ACTIVE as they could be in a host of other arenas.
And how often do you hear of Government as an Employer rewarding it’s employees. There are some of us who work effortlessly and tirelessly for a government and/or union who does very little to recognize or champion some of our causes!
BPSU will railroad you and sell you out; to think you pay them money to do it.
Vote OBA: Getting rid of lazy government workers won’t solve the problem. They need to break away from that lazy pro-management Union. Try becoming a civil servant and see first hand the crap you have to deal with. What’s interesting is that 100 plus officers from the Customs section informed the BPSU that they have no confidence in them and gave written notice to them stating so. I’m surprised that it hasn’t made the news. I understand one of those officers tried casting a vote yesterday but was not allowed to; the department head has even become involved and is trying desperately to coax the members to stay put.
If 51% of the Union membership is required to allow members to choose alternative representation, why is only 21% an acceptable percentage of the membership when it comes to voting on a pay increase? This is nonsense!
Thank you very much for providing this statistical information. I am in a current row with the BPSU who has done little to help with my current case as an employed Trainee with the Government of Bermuda and now have to seek legal action! I’ve been paying union dues for union representation and they are USELESS.
If by chance you read this what other recourse aside from legal action should I consider?
By the way the above issue mentioned is a separate issue and has nothing to do with the pay increase. Please consider commenting on that post. Thanks.
The political route is a waste of time and the only other option, unfortunately, is the legal route. Many BPSU members/exmembers feel the same way about that Union. They have failed their members and ultimately Bermuda because they are the voice that should have spoken out as the nonsense took place. Instead what did they do on most occasions? What you need to do is get enough of the members together and do something to get the change and representation that you are paying for.
“What’s interesting is that 100 plus officers from the Customs section informed the BPSU that they have no confidence in them and gave written notice to them stating so. I’m surprised that it hasn’t made the news. I understand one of those officers tried casting a vote yesterday but was not allowed to; the department head has even become involved and is trying desperately to coax the members to stay put.”
Yes, quite interesting that this hasn’t made news yet. Not surprised that Customs management has gotten involved, worst case scenario for them is the officers start their own union. Certain officers acting as Union reps/shop stewards were double agents anyways, on one hand acting like they were representing the larger body of officers, on the other hand going back to management with confidential union meeting talk and lining themselves up for promotions and perks. Oh it’s damn true….
Whoyafoolin and White-Collar Government Worker you obviously know what’s happening. I support you. That Union is useless. Time to get rid of some of those executives who have been there far too long – change is what they need. The new President and Vice President may be a good thing but look behind them to a few others who need to resign. Too stuck in their ways. Change I say. They need CHANGE!!! What else is going on besides the Customs issue that their members should be aware of.
The UBP in the comming weeks will introduce a Pink Panther Paper that will address this on the house floor…..hope someone picks it up…..
Truth of the matter is as soon as Premier Cox suggested she would be prepared to take a pay cut but would expect the senior civil services to do likewise the problem went away in a great hurry.Seems the civil service is not prepared to put their money where their mouth is! What a waste of time that whole act they called a march was.
So correct me if I’m wrong and I could be was this a veiled threat will this also work around election time?
LOL
I think the march was all a facade and so was the secret ballot. If things were done as they’ve always been done, the decision to accept the increase had been made prior to the march…it was all an act. BPSU members should be able to see right through that Union by now!
As a governement worker, we’ve gotten the raise but we’re still waiting for the back pay-Lord only knows when that’s coming. I’m so sick of people assuming that all government workers are lazy and already overpaid. That is simply not true. The ones at the top of the pyramid-permanent secretaries, directors of departments and managers are the ones making all the money while us at the bottom of the pyramid-the ones who do all the work-aren’t.
I look at my department head-you go to her office and her dek is clean as a whistle. She spends more time giving out orders and attending meetings than doing any real work. I won’t even go into how many business trips she takes. yet if you look at my desk, it’s piled up with work and I’m stressed trying to get it all done within the set deadlines. The department head makes WELL over 100K a year-I take home around $700a week after deductions. My job is important and vital to the department where I work, but someone decided it’s PS12 so that’s what it is.
Many government workers deserve the raises we were given. There’s lots of money wasted in Gov’t but us at the bottom of the barrel have no say or control over that-why should we or our families suffer because some politician, P.S. or department head makes bad choices or wastes money? We’re just working class people trying to survive just like so many others in Bermuda. We shouldn’t be criticized just because people hear the term ‘Government’ workers or civil servants. We’re just regular people trying to survive.