B.U.T. President: “We Are Disappointed In The Prime Minister”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The move follows comments by Prime Minister Philip Davis, who recently expressed disappointment in how some public servants reacted to the latest round of salary increases. BUT President Belinda Wilson is now pushing back, saying teachers have every reason to be frustrated.

According to Wilson, a recent internal poll showed that nearly 88% of union members supported taking industrial action, with 92% specifically in favor of a strike vote.

She insists the unrest didn’t appear out of nowhere, and argues the government’s pay adjustments were far below what teachers were led to expect.

“We are disappointed in the Prime Minister,” Wilson said, “because based on our conversations with him, we expected salary increases between 2% and 8%, as outlined in his budget communication.”

Last week, Wilson described the adjustments, which range from $150 to $341 a month, as “crumbs.”
The Prime Minister later referred to the increases as a gift, a description Wilson says was inappropriate.

“The funds did not come out of the Prime Minister’s personal bank account,” she said. “It’s the taxpayers’ money, and it is not a gift.”

The Office of the Prime Minister previously stated that more than 17,000 public officers received salary adjustments, costing the government roughly $20 million annually. But Wilson argues that the government still has not carried out a full salary review across the public service.

“The salary review only covered middle management and technical officers,” she explained. “A proper comprehensive review would show where the real gaps are and guide adjustments based on actual recommendations.”

As for what comes next, Wilson says the union has already surveyed its members to determine the type of industrial action they want to take, and when.

“Stay tuned,” she said. “Ain’t long now.”