Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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Bid to amend law to hire ex-cons By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com: The government intends to change the laws of The Bahamas so that ex-convicts can gain permanent employment in the public sector, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham revealed in the House of Assembly yesterday. "The Bahamas cannot afford to continue a policy that says if you have been convicted you cannot be engaged by government," Ingraham said during debate on two supplementary appropriation bills to fund the government's temporary jobs program and pay teachers, nurses and doctors money owed them under several public sector union contracts. "We are going to bring to Parliament a new Public Service Bill. It will be largely along the lines of the Public Service Bill that is in Barbados, which contains provisions in the law that will overcome the policy that we've had in The Bahamas for many years," he added. According to Ingraham, as the law stands now, ex-convicts do get employed in the non-permanent positions in the public sector. "But if you want a permanent job in the public sector, to be on the permanent and pensionable establishment then this question arises," he said. Public service workers accused of committing crimes are interdicted pending the outcome of their cases. Thursday, November 19, 2009