And while that race starts in 9 days, the transition to the National Bus Company happens in a few days on Sunday, March first.
And right now the Ministry of transport is in a scramble to make ready the terminals and their employees.
Those terminal employees, who are all either public officers or open vote workers will now have to transition to private employment - which will mean losing their years of service in public employment.
That's what caused the Public Service Union to raise a red flag today calling out, quote, "heavy-handed and unlawful tactics employed by the Ministry of Transportation against public officers assigned to terminal management units across the country."
They say the Chief Transport Officer and a team have been going to terminals, quote, "giving public officers an ultimatum: resign from the Public Service by Friday, February 27, 2026, or face termination."
Today, the media asked the CEO in the Ministry of Transport about it via zoom. He said yes they have been visiting the terminal - but that is not the message being given:
Chester Williams, CEO - Transport
"Now, remember that the National Bus Company is going to need employees. And will need employees at the terminal as well. And so what we want to do is to make sure that we have a transition period between the 1st of March and the end of August, whereby those persons who are currently employed, at the terminal and even those who are employed at the various bus companies that now form part part of the National bus company, they will be brought on board with the naitonal bus company and they will have that four months period where they can decide if they want to remain with the company, or if for some reason they don't meet the criteria for employment, then we will have to find ways for the terminal workers: How are we going to settle with them?"
"I can say to you that I also have a discussion with Mr. Flowers, the president of the PSU on this matter and I believe that there was some miscommunication or a misunderstanding in terms of the message that was being conveyed to the terminal workers. And so Mr. Flowers and I have already discussed the matter. And, I also said to him that those terminal workers who are unionized, so that we are to meet with them along with their bargaining agent, which would be the union."
"And we have already had a meeting set for Thursday, which is tomorrow, to meet with those employee who are unionized along with the PSU, so that we can have whatever bargaining."
"I know for a fact that we have some terminal workers who may be employed for maybe nine years plus, some having ten years plus those with ten years plus would be entitled to gratuity. Those at nine years and not having completed ten years would not yet be entitled to gratuity. But as a part of the bargaining tool, it would be wise to ensure that we take into consideration that these people will not be able to meet the ten year mark because of this transition, and that's where the PSU will come in to see how they can bargain on behalf of these people, that they can get the best possible result from this transition."
"And so I want to make it clear that it is not the intention, and we will not disenfranchise nobody of their benefits. If anything were to happen, they must gain not lose."
"Some of them are governed by the GWR which is open vote workers, temporary employment. So these are things that we have to look at. But you have some of them who have been temporarily employed for a number of years."
"And so we have to make sure that the years that they have pumped, in their benefit. And that is what we will do."
"So while the employment within the government structure or the government services is becoming redundant, the employment will be created under the private company. So the position will still be there. And it is our hope that we will be able to keep them employed in their respective positions."
"Just that the, the terms and condition of the employment is going to change because they are going to move from government to a private entity."
Reporter
"Is this a case where they would have to reapply for employment with the bus company, or would it be like a transition of sorts?"
Chester Williams, CEO - Transport
"It can't be a transition because the terms of, employment will have to change. And so they will have to reapply for the position under the National Bus Company."
Williams said he met with the PSU president Dean Flowers this afternoon to allay concerns.
