Increments will be Returned to Teachers and Public Officers

Prime Minister John Briceño

It’s official, teachers and public officers will be receiving their annual increments as of April first, at the start of the new fiscal calendar.  The decision to remove controls on wages has been the objective of the Briceño administration ever since increments were frozen and teachers and public officers also took a ten percent salary cut amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  While the ten percent was returned sooner than it had been initially anticipated, it took government a little longer to reinstate the increments.  In fact, the Joint Unions Negotiating Team held several meetings with G.O.B. prior to arriving at that agreement.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We have agreed that we will give them back their increments. As we said all along that we’re prepared to do so.”

Henry Charles Usher

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“Yes, the cabinet has agreed to give the public officers the increments or unfreeze the increments starting April first.”

Reporter

“What led to that decision because I know you guys had an extensive meeting last week? So when you came into cabinet, what did you present and what was able to change their minds to do it April first rather than June or September?”

Henry Charles Usher

“Well it has always been our goal to make sure we unfreeze the increments this upcoming fiscal year. The discussion with the Joint Union [Negotiating] Team – it was very informative and instructive in terms of how we could get that done this upcoming fiscal year and certainly the head of the union negotiating team and the deputy prime minister, he was the one certainly pushing that we did it as soon as possible. So it was always the case where we wanted to do it as soon as we could and we were happy that we were able to do it this upcoming fiscal year.”

Reporter

“Is there going to be any mechanism change though as to the assessments?”

Henry Charles Usher

“Well we are working on that. We are actually working at the Ministry of Public Service not only on the appraisals, but we are updating the public service regulations. We are looking at all the regulations to bring them up to date. I believe the last time public service regulations were updated were around 2014-2015 so I think it is important that we look.”