The members of the Bermuda Public Service Union deserve credit for agreeing to their new pay contract without taking industrial action.Instead, and using a secret ballot, the members voted for a small wage increase and, presuakbly, a modicum of job security.Thats a sign of maturity and also suggests that the public is now recognising the severity of the recession.Bermuda will only recover from this recession if it can reduce its costs and increase its competitiveness in both the public sector and the private sector.There will be those who question why civil servants are getting any kind of increase at a time when many people are out of work, have had their pay reduced or are operating under a wage freeze.People who are in those positions have a right be angry. But it is important that pubnlic servants are paid adequately, if only to enabe Government to retain and hire good public servants. This may not seem so essential now, when employers have more choice in hiring, but this will not necessarily be true in the future. In addition a small increase now should obviate the need for a large jump later if inflation increases.It should be recognised that the 1.25 percent increase, while something, will not keep pace with inflation. But if it means that the cost of government is controlled, then it is a small step in the right direction.It may still be that some job cuts are needed in the public sector and there is still waste to be eliminated. But any cuts will, at the very least, be less deep now than they would be if the wage increase was higher. Nonetheless, Government must continue its hiring freeze and reduce its numbers through attrition in order to reduce costs.At the same time, civil servants need to remember that there many people in much worse financial shape than they are. Having received a raise, they need to give excellent service to the public and to ensure they are providing value for money. If not, they should not expect the public to be understanding.