New Pay Scales a Set Back for Public Officers and Teachers

The ten percent salary reduction for teachers and public officers, which came into force at the beginning of June, is even more dire than what was previously anticipated.  That is according to P.S.U. President Dean Flowers.  Today, he pored over the new pay scales that have been implemented by the Ministry of Finance.  The head of the Public Service Union spoke with News Five this evening telling us the readjusted pay will set government employees back by eight points, directly affecting their increments after the proposed three-year period ends.  Flowers also said that he is not certain that public officers are fully aware of the impact of these new changes.

On the Phone: Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“What I can say about the new pay scale is that after analyzing the submission from the Ministry of Finance, it would appear that the new pay scale is even worse than we had initially anticipated.  And I say worst because the fact that there has been implementation of a new pay scale means that this salary cut is permanent.  This is not a salary cut that will be held for three years and once that three years have expired you will return to your present point.  The fact that we have a new pay scale means that you will now start from the readjusted pay scale which reflects the ten percent reduction.  It’s a bit worse also because when you look at the increments, even the increments that you will receive, if and when reinstated in 2024 will be ten percent less.  So while we were informed that your current increment will be frozen for three years, what we’re seeing in the new pay scale is that you will forever, until some distant future when some future government decides to implement a new pay scale, you will now actually in 2024, you will receive ten percent less on your increments if and when that is instituted in 2024.  So it’s worse than was discussed, it’s worse than we had anticipated and I don’t think that public officers have gotten the real sense of the big picture in terms of how this salary adjustment/salary cut will affect them going forward.  In essence, you will be behind or you have now been placed eight points backwards, eight points backwards.  One under the Barrow administration and effectively seven under the Briceño administration because the ten percent takes you four back and for three additional years where it will be… so it will be four years you will be taken back on your pay scale and in addition to that, if and when increments are reinstated in 2024, your increment also will be ten percent less.”