Government Moves to Standardize Salary Scales for Public Officers

After months of clamoring for salary increases and a security allowance, the government was able to fulfill its commitment back in February to the crown counsels in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.  During that time, however, the Public Service Union (PSU) was not in agreement with the haphazard increase, and had called on the government to standardize the salary scales for public officers.  Today, the Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre was able to confirm that they are in the process of regulating salary scales across the board in the public service.

Anthony Sylvester, Attorney General: “All crowns, and again this goes back to a commitment that was made by government in 2012 where there would have been some salary adjustment and that has been given effect to and that was given effect to in February. I think February the new salaries of the crowns were adjusted to that which was promised some years back. Now as you are aware that government is in the process of a full and thorough review of salaries and of not only crown counsel but public servants on a whole and one of the things that I can say is government contrary to what people may think government does not have a chest with a billion or two billion or a hundred billon and can simply take out and pay people and provide whatever requests. There are processes that has to be engaged and certainly what I can say is that government is committed to carry that process to its end and to ensure that there is parity across the public service as it relates to the issue of salaries.”

Interestingly, while the PSU is asking for standardized salary scales, the Ministry of the Public Service had established a Job Classification and Compensation Unit (JCCU) that was to establish a system for the entire public service when it comes to salaries.  It is uncertain, at this time, if the unit is functional.