“Clients do not come first; employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”— Richard Branson, CEO and founder of Virgin Group

In the words of our honourable re-elected premier, David Burt: “Mr Speaker, since being given the humbling responsibility to serve our people back in 2017, our government has fought to reduce the financial burden on the lives of those who work tirelessly but still struggle to make ends meet. We have fought and will continue to fight for greater economic inclusion, greater economic parity and greater social mobility.”

Unfortunately, this has not been the experience of frontline Bermuda Public Services Union staff at the Bermuda Hospitals Board, as we have not had a salary increase or cost-of-living increment in almost seven years.

Where, then, is the source of this discrepancy? We are told repeatedly by our union, the BPSU, that the hospital has no money, and we are told by the BHB that since June 2019 its funding model was changed by the Government. The portion of funding previously paid by insurers for BHB claims that came under Standard Health Benefit was replaced with a fixed payment from the Government. The Government is now paying the BHB, and somehow the hospital no longer has enough money to pay us.

The BHB had stated in its annual report for 2020-21: “BHB’s finances moved to a very small surplus in 2020-21 for the first time since the $25 million budget cut imposed in 2017, and this year BHB hopes to break even”. But even then in 2020-21, the staff represented by the BPSU was still not considered. The BHB then went on to commend the staff in a press release dated March 17, 2022: “This improvement has been possible due to the hard work of staff and leadership to save costs even through the pandemic. We are extremely grateful to our staff who have managed a pandemic, financial pressures, and continued to modernise and improve the quality of our services and care, which is at the heart of what we do each day.”

It is also important to note that while other government health workers were allowed to work from home, or not at all during the pandemic, all of the BHB’s 1,000-plus clinical staff had to report to work every day — and we continue to do so rain or shine, 365 days per year.

Then after the pandemic, the Bermuda Industrial Union and the BPSU (Government) both negotiated and were granted cost-of-living adjustments — a 2.25 per cent increase plus a $700 ex gratia payment in 2022-23, and another 2.25 per cent increase in 2023-24. But BHB (BPSU) staff who weathered the pandemic received zero by way of cost-living adjustments, zero in ex gratia payments and zero salary increases.

The 2024-25 Budget statement says: “The Ministry of Health has been allocated $200.4 million — an increase of $1.2 million. This modest increase is primarily to cover the cost of the negotiated salary increases. The majority of the Ministry of Health’s budget is allocated to the Bermuda Hospitals Board.”

We are happy the Minister of Finance, our premier, recognised that it was a modest increase compared with “the Ministry of Finance has been allocated $240.5 million — an increase of $4.1 million primarily due to salary uplifts, increased employee overheads due to union pay agreements, and new funding for corporate income tax implementation”.

Could this be to accommodate the Legislature Salaries Review Board recommendation of November 2024 that MPs and senators be granted an 18.8 per cent increase and MPs be granted an additional $7,000 per year?

Again, BHB (BPSU) staff neglected.

More from the Premier, in the 2024-25 Budget Statement: “Mr Speaker, what I say next will be very important to the Bermudian people. Yes, by nearly every measurement the economy is headed in the right direction, yet we know that too many Bermudians aren't feeling the impact in their lives. Too many continue to struggle with high food prices, while businesses boast about their profits. Too many face growing rental costs and shrinking housing options. From groceries to healthcare to mortgage rates, the escalation of prices in Bermuda is causing an escalation of financial hardship and frustration.”

Therefore, Right Honourable Premier, given that you are very much aware of the cost-of-living challenges in Bermuda, so much so that the Government negotiated salary increases to all unionised Public Service workers, why were BHB (BPSU) staff not considered?

The Government is very proud that it has steered the country into better economic standing, citing that Bermuda’s gross domestic product — the primary indicator for economic growth — is estimated to have grown between 4 per cent and 4.5 per cent in 2023, and is projected to continue in 2026. In your recent Budget presentation, you stated “this Progressive Labour Party government has successfully balanced Bermuda’s budget, with a projected surplus of $210,000. This budget surplus is only the second budgeted surplus in 35 years! Mr Speaker, the last time Bermuda achieved a balanced budget was in fiscal 2002-03, but today, 21 years after that was last achieved, through the turmoil of a great recession and after being battered by a once-in-a-century pandemic, we will return this country back to a balanced budget”.

But those at the centre of caring for Bermuda’s population, those who battled through the once-in-a-century pandemic — BHB (BPSU) staff — are forgotten?

The Government is very pleased with its projected revenue increase from the corporate income tax. And I quote: “Mr Speaker, the estimates of CIT revenue that have come to the Ministry of Finance and that have been shared with the Tax Reform Commission are that the Government should expect to receive, on average, at least $750 million in additional revenue each year; and that initial tax payments on account from the CIT could commence by July 2025”.

It is obvious that the salaries of all other unionised Public Service workers were considered except those of the BHB (BPSU) frontline staff.

We are respectfully asking that you address the large salary discrepancy — $30,000 per annum — that exists between government workers and BHB staff.

We are at our breaking point!

To the BHB, one of the pillars of your strategic plan for 2021-2026 is people — “To foster a respectful supportive workplace where people are heard and feel appreciated”.

We are waiting to see that reflected in our salary package so we can at least live to be able to “... continuously strive to deliver the highest quality and safest care to our patients, every day”. Which is your vision statement.

We are at breaking point!

To the BPSU, we are your second-largest membership after government staff, but you have repeatedly neglected us. You have asked us to accept salary cuts, while the BHB executive staff continues to expand. You have asked us to accept regular time or time and half for overtime, all while citing the hospital’s empty coffers. Our collective bargaining agreement is three years out of date! We ask you now, whom do you represent?

We are at a breaking point!

To Bermuda, we have loyally and diligently served you. You have witnessed our dedication played out during the pandemic when we left our own families and children to take care of our Bermudian citizens. Some may say, “Well, that is your job.”

Well, consider this: while hundreds of healthcare workers worldwide resigned during the pandemic, we weathered through it and provided consistent service. You complain about the hospital, but what you see before you are understaffed, overworked employees that are treated like indentured servants.

We deserve better. We need to live, too.

• Under Paid represents staff of the Bermuda Hospitals Board who are unionised by the Bermuda Public Services Union