Gov’t aides angry with their lot in salary review

Some senior advisers and executive assistants to government officials are fuming over the criteria imposed for salary increases under the public sector compensation review exercise, arguing that they are barred from benefiting until a renewal of their contracts.

Added to that, they say that they are not set to benefit from any retroactive payments.

On the contrary, the advisers, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, pointed to the salary increases of their government minister and bosses, who they say benefited immediately from salary increases and retroactive payments following a 200 per cent increase in their compensation.

One source told The Gleaner that the increases only become effective on the renewal of contracts, which, if renewed a week before they take effect, will see them missing out.

The revised salary scale is for the period April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025.

“You will endure the entire period without the new salary and nothing is retroactive. All the ministers’ payments were retroactive,” one source lamented on Tuesday.

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke, who is in the UAE attending COP28, was unavailable for comment last night.

SALARY SCALE

But a document outlining the salary scale, which was seen by The Gleaner, said senior advisers and consultants, effective April 1, 2024 will earn between $7.7 million and $10.3 million.

They previously earned between $3.4 million and $3.7 million.

Advisers and consultants in category three will begin earning between $6.3 million and $8.5 million, up from their pre-review salaries of between $3 million and $3.3 million.

Advisers and consultants in category two are to earn between $5.2 million and $7 million. They previously earned between $2.3 million and $2.59 million.

Category one advisers and consultants, who previously earned between $1.8 million and $2 million, will now earn between $4.2 million and $5.7 million.

Executive and special assistants will be paid between $2.8 million and $3.77 million, effective April 1, 2024, after previously earning between $969,000 and $1.97 million.

The document said personal assistants are set to earn between $1.7 million and $2.3 million. They previously earned between $869,000 and $1.4 million.

CABINET APPROVAL

The November 20, 2023 circular, which carries the signature of Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison, said Cabinet approved one executive assistant and one special assistant for those among them who are elected, while non-elected Cabinet ministers will have one executive assistant.

For ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries, one special assistant will be assigned to those elected and one personal assistant to non-elected.

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the House of Representatives are assigned one special assistant each.

“There is much disappointment with the levels of increase, especially at the lower levels. The foot soldiers are not treated well and it’s totally unfair that this [increase] is only due on renewal of contracts,” said another source with whom The Gleaner spoke.

“People should be compensated retroactively much like MPs (members of parliament) and ministers and for the same years as negotiated for the public sector,” the source insisted, indicating that because the categories are largely political appointments, there are no unions to speak for them.

The source also said that the insistence of qualifications is also “unfair as it has been found that many persons, although without the requisite qualifications, are teaching persons how to do the job properly”.

Senior advisers and consultants, according to the document sent to permanent secretaries, must have a master’s degree with a proven track record of over 15 years’ experience in a specialist profession or an equivalent combination of knowledge and experience.

Advisers and consultants in category three are required to have prostgraduate qualification from an accredited university with at least 10 years’ experience or an equivalent combination of knowledge and experience of, for example, a first degree and 15 years’ experience in the field.

Those in category two need postgraduate qualification from an accredited university with at least eight years’ experience or a first degree and at least 12 years’ experience.

Category one requires a first degree from an accredited university with at least five years’ experience in the specified field.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com