The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government is aiming to make 1,000 public sector workers permanent and pensionable, having set aside $2m to cover back pay owed to civil servants.

Pia Glover-Rolle, minister of state for the public service, told media prior to the weekly Cabinet meeting that the Davis administration has now completed 206 promotions for Customs officers and is “eagerly” waiting to complete the balance of those outstanding.

“I want you to know that, of course, simultaneously, the technical teams at the ministry, as well as the special task force that has been implemented to assist with the [promotions] backlog, are working constantly,” she said. “So, yes, we’re still working on Customs. We’re working on about six or seven other government agencies. Civil servants are getting letters, increments and back pay every week. I’m very happy about it. The civil servants are happy about it.

“While this is happening, we’re working in tandem with the trade unions through our labour relations unit. A lot of our union industrial agreements are about to expire; we’re in negotiations. Most of it is financial. So the Ministry of Public Service’s technical team, and the Ministry of Finance’s technical team, are working together to get those matters solved as quickly as we can.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle said she was “not sure” if the $2m earmarked to satisfy monies owed to civil servants will be exhausted. “We’re still in an analog system; still working to figure out how we will digitise by working as quickly as we can, but matters are rolling out,” she added. “We’re also working on ensuring that civil servants that are temporary, month-to-month, in some instances for decades, we’ve put together an analysis of that. It’s a little under 1,000 persons.

“We’re looking to ensure that we bring them over to the establishment, which is permanent and pensionable. We’re doing an analysis on our contributory pension plan that we will introduce. So Public Service is working. The technical team at the Ministry of Public Service is hardworking. They’re doing a great job with getting the backlogs done, and I’m sure once we implement our digitisation system we’ll be able to move even more efficiently.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle said errors in the public service salary scale introduced in 2016 are also being addressed, with the JD Edwards payroll system needing to reflect these adjustments. “There was a disparity there,” she added. “The book has finally been completed because so many persons have been waiting for their situations in terms of their pay, their increments to be adjusted.

“Because the book was not in line with the system, it couldn’t happen. So that has been completed. The ministry, through our permanent secretary, has released a circular to advise, and the unions are also aware now that the salary book has been adjusted and the system to match.

“There will be some training with the finance officers to ensure that, over the course of the next month or two, there will be amelioration of financial matters in line with the salary book,” Mrs Glover-Rolle added. “That will mean some people will be expecting payments, some people may have been overpaid, but all of those things will be ameliorated within the next few months.

“Everybody will be on an even keel, and on the pay scale that they should be in, and the pay grade that they should be at.”