The Bermuda Public Services Union (BPSU) recently celebrated Caribbean Public Services Day by recognizing 261 public officers who have worked for the Government of Bermuda for more than ten years. During the long service awards ceremony, the Premier of Bermuda, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, the Head of the Public Service, Dr. Derrick Binns, JP, and the BPSU President Ms. Lloyquita Symonds gave speeches and acknowledged the hard work and dedication of public officers who collectively celebrated more than 4,730 years of service. Nine people have 40 years of service; 14 people 35 years of service and 32 people were acknowledged for 30 years of service.

During the ceremony, held at Pier Six, the Premier stated, “I believe that it is entirely appropriate to celebrate public service and the dedicated people who choose to serve. In the 28 months since July 2017, the collective efforts of public officers have helped to ensure that  40 percent of the 161 individual pledges by the Bermuda Government were completed and a further 38 percent of them are actively in progress and nearing completion. 78 percent of what the Government has set out to do is either completed or nearing completion, and the fact is, I get to stand up as a politician to take the credit, but it is the dedicated public officers in the public service that actually do the work.”

 You have worked to implement this government’s policies to:

• invest in people;
• encourage small business development;
• care for the vulnerable; 
• build a strong social platform; and 
• manage public finances.

“Your contributions are not lost on me today. It is important to ensure that we highlight the public servants who are doing the work on a day to day basis. If no one else says thank you for your service, rest assured that the Government supports and appreciates your service and is pleased to be here today to congratulate those of you who have served for a very long time.”

The Premier concluded by saying, “I appreciate your hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence. Thank you for your many years of public service. Thank you for being a part of an organization that is important to the lives of every Bermudian resident. Thank you so much for making a difference and rest assured that this Government values your commitment and we are appreciative of the service that all of you have given to the Government of Bermuda.”

During his speech, Dr. Binns said, “Each of you deserves to be recognized when you have provided outstanding customer service, whether those customers are internal to government or members of the general public. In my role as the Head of the Public Service, I will continue to look for ways to highlight public officers and shine a light on your achievements.

“Each step we take, whether literally or figuratively, gets us closer to our purpose – to enhance the lives of the people of Bermuda. On behalf of the Civil Service Executive, these are the senior executives of the Public Service, comprising the Secretary to the Cabinet, Financial Secretary, Permanent Secretaries and myself, I say thank you. Thank you for the long hours. Thank you for your hard work.”

Ms. Lloyquita Symonds added, “The Officers of the BPSU are pleased to partner with the Government of Bermuda for this inaugural celebration of Caribbean Public Services Day. Many commit a lifetime to serving our country, and this is a great opportunity to join the Government to ensure our members continue to be encouraged, celebrated and appreciated.”