REMARKS BY THE HON.

FRED MITCHELL MP

MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE

PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK CHURCH SERVICE

2^nd October 2005

Bethel Baptist Church 

I wish to thank the Rev. Timothy Stuart and the people of the historic Bethel Baptist Church for hosting us at this service today.  I think that this week of activities is important because it highlights the role of the public service in preserving the fabric of the society in so many ways large and small.  It is a professional cadre of people who are responsible for keeping corporate Bahamas running. 

Let me thank the Permanent Secretary Irene Stubbs, the staff of the Department of Public Service and the Organizing Committee for the job they have done in organizing this week’s activities. 

 It is therefore necessary for me to repeat the thanks of the Rt. Honourable Prime Minister, the Government and the people of The Bahamas to the managers and workers in the public service for all that is done to ensure that our country continues to operate. 

It is fitting that we are here at Bethel Baptist Church today and in particular here under the patronage of the Rev. Timothy Stuart because it was here that the breakthrough occurred in the last negotiations on the question of the postponement of the payment of the salary increases.  I believe that the Government appreciated the role that your Pastor played in managing that issue. That is not an issue which arises today but there are other challenges that will confront us, the normal challenges of managing such a large service.  

We are at a stage when during the course of the week proposals are expected to be exchanged on the way forward in the service.  It is for me to extend congratulations to the re elected President of the Bahamas Public Service Union John Pinder and his team. The Government stands ready as always to work with responsible trade union leaders and staff associations within the public sector.  The country expects both the management side and the line staff to work in harmony and to ensure that the country continues to operate smoothly and without disruption.  Our work toward the more efficient arrangement of our country’s business must be done in an atmosphere of harmony, without resort to threats and histrionics one either side. I am sure that we are all pledged and bound to continue to work in that way.  

That is why a professional team has been assembled to review the matters that arise on the industrial relations side, so that negotiations are conducted through a professional and specialized team. There are some interesting proposals that our Industrial Relations Negotiation Committee should be advancing within a very short time. 

Pastor you will know that the hallmark of the present Minister of the public service and that of the Government is one of an open door, willing to talk with anyone at any time and on any subject to move the service forward, and ensure that the theme of soaring above the challenges is as true as the words on the paper.  We do this because we believe that there is a social compact that is required of management, the unions and civil society, where we all commit and believe in common objectives and move toward those objectives with a complete understanding of what the resources of the country are.  That there is only so much to go around.  

Some times the Government and the Minister’s openness might be mistaken for weakness. It is important that we all appreciate the difference between openness and civility and weakness. The two should not be confused.

There must be mutual respect and mutual appreciation of the role which each side has to play. 

Both my parents were civil servants.  Both raised five children off salaries that were not large but certainly served to provide an education and the influence to garner the resources to educate to university level and beyond five children.  There are many within the service who are in that same position today.  The service provides an enviable position for any Bahamian who wants to work hard, and who wishes to succeed. It pays a good salary.  It offers good benefits.  It provides virtual security of tenure. 

With those privileges, however comes a responsibility to the public we serve.  That responsibility is to do the best that we can, at all times, to ensure that the machine runs smoothly and without disruption and that the country’s wealth continues to grow.  Our reward is that the public will allow us to share reasonably in the wealth that we help to create.  

Soon, the Government shall be going back to the people to ask them to refresh our mandate.  Key to all of this will be a good report of our stewardship of the public service, and what we have accomplished there. Let us be sure that all of us can say that regardless of our political persuasions, we did the best that we could to ensure that the service ran well and efficiently. The major commitment over the next year is to work on programmes aimed at halving poverty in our country by the year 2015 in line with our United Nations’ commitment and the millennium development goals.  Once we have done a good job there, only then can we truly say we have lived up to day’s theme soaring above the challenges.

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