Five percent for public servants

The government today announced that it has approved a five percent across-the- board increase in salaries and wages retroactive to January 1, 2012 for all Public Servants.

It defined the eligible public servants as those “employed in Ministries, Departments not under Ministerial Control, Regional Administrations and those who are engaged on contracts against positions reflected on the inventory of the Traditional Public Service and also those who are contracted against positions that are not on the Inventory of the Traditional Public Service.”

The statement issued via the Government Information Agency added that this action was taken by the government to “avoid the disappointment of workers who have expectations of a salary increase payout, before Christmas.”

The Government said it wished to reiterate its commitment to “ensuring that workers receive a living wage, and will continue its participation in the ongoing negotiations between the workers’ representatives and the Government with the intention of ultimately arriving at a Multi Year Wages and Salary Agreement.”

The government has arbitrarily assigned wage increases for public servants for over a decade now.