Money in Budget 2021 for public servants’ salary increase -Minister Parag

Minister of Public Service, Hon. Sonia Parag says there are provisions in Budget 2021 for salary increases for public servants.

The Minister made this statement during her interview on NCN’s “Budget in Focus” on Tuesday.

She said the measure is also in keeping with the PPP/C’s manifesto promise to enhance citizens’ quality of life.

“There is an increase. There will be an increase in 2021 for all public servants… The Vice President would have been on social media, I believe about two days ago, saying that $10 billion was allocated, which was previously known as the Division of Wages and Salaries now Employment Cost, and a huge portion of that would be going towards increasing [salary].”

Minister Parag said there was no need for public servants to worry as provisions were made for an increase, but it would have contravened the collective bargaining agreement to announce a figure.

“Making an announcement for an increase in salary and a percentage … is contrary to collective bargaining. It’s not the norm. You take away the right of collective bargaining if you do that. So, you cannot be contradictory and want a percentage in there and you’re taking away the rights of collective bargaining under which you have an agreement to do,” she said.

Vice-President, Hon. Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had dismissed as absurd the Opposition claims in the wake of the budget that public servants would not receive a salary increase

In a post on his official Facebook account on Saturday, the Vice President said: “The latest episode of this is the false claim that there will be no wages and salary increases in 2021 for public servants.

The fact is that over $10B has been budgeted in the estimates under the head, ‘revision of wages and salaries’. A huge part of that sum will go towards salary increases for public sector workers.”

On February 12, the Government presented its $383.1 billion 2021 Budget under the theme, “A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience.”