Senate Debates Reinstatement of Ten Percent Salary for Public Officers

Jacklyn Burns

As we told you on Friday, the House of Representatives passed an act to reinstate the ten percent salary that was withheld from public officers back in 2021. But, when will G.O.B. reinstate public officers’ increments? U.D.P. Senator Jacklyn Burns raised this question during today’s meeting, to which Senator Courtenay responded.

Jacklyn Burns, Opposition Senator

“On behalf of our public servants and teachers, myself being a teacher, I fully support the ten percent reinstatement. I can tell you from personal experience, from experience of colleagues, from listening to public servants that it has been though. We know the reality we have been going through, where fuel cost is, and the purchasing power of even our public servants, teachers, and professionals in eh work spaces, it has been severely tight. I know teachers do a lot to enhance their classroom. We had to get creative during the COVID experience. However, I would like to state that the ten percent we lost is not equivalent to the ten percent we will receive hereafter. The cost of living has significantly gone up.

I also would like to ask the government to consider the reinstatement of the increments that have been missing for three years.”

Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business

“I think it is clear that the concerns she have raised are genuine concerns. I can tell you without going into details, for obvious reasons, that this is a matter under constant weekly review in Cabinet. With respect to the increments, government finances are not where we want them to be. It is our hope that we will be able to restore the increments and to keep the union engagement on that. You will recall there was a committee set up. The committee is till serving to review the performance of the figures on these matters.”