The Bermuda Public Service Union (BPSU) vote in favour of a low increase of civil servants’ wages was last night hailed as “a very positive step” by Premier Paula Cox.Ms Cox said she welcomed the BPSU agreement, after nearly 500 of the Union’s Government workers put the matter to a secret ballot on Tuesday.Workers voted 75 percent in favour of accepting what Ms Cox called a “modest wage increase of 1.25 percent”.Ms Cox said the vote “shows good faith on the part of the BPSU membership, and recognition for the difficult global economic conditions that still exist today”.“As I articulated in my Budget 2011 to 2012, the Bermuda Government must take appropriate steps to effectively manage its expenditure as we transition from one of the most severe shocks to the global financial system to a slow economic recovery,” she said.“As we traverse this ‘new normal’ together, we in Government welcome the prospect of working more effectively with our civil servants, to collectively tackle the challenges ahead. Bermuda needs the Bermuda Government and its Civil Service to be exceptional.”Salaries are negotiated on a year by year basis, under a three-year contract between Government and the BPSU that expires at the end of August. The pay period agreed by the BPSU workers covers October, 2010 to this September, at which point a new round of negotiations will begin.“Now we are actually getting started moving forward,” said BPSU president Kevin Grant, who added that the union will wait for an official communication of the Premier’s acceptance.“Right now is a time for work, to get as much innovation and creativity going together, and make a little bit more of a sacrifice than we are used to. Every single person has to do that, and I think if that mentality pervades the Island, I’m more than confident we can get the economy back on track.”Asked if there had been any feedback from the 25 percent of union voters who were against the low salary increase, Mr Grant said: “I haven’t heard any negative aspects. People are just trying to deal with the issues ahead.”The salary increase is well behind inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.For now, he said, the union will wait to hear back from Government’s lead negotiator.He said: “We just have to see how things go. The next few months could be crazy, and if that happens we must react again. But what I want is to be proactive. Unions can be stereotyped as reactive. I think it’s good to head off issues as much as possible.”The total membership of the BPSU is around 3,700, roughly 1,700 of whom are Government workers.Useful web link: www.bpsu.bm.