Public Servant payout to cost $478 million

IT WILL cost Government $478 million to implement the three-year collective agreement negotiated on behalf of thousands of public servants.

This was disclosed yesterday at the signing of the agreement between the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and the Public Services’ Association, (PSA). The agreement covers the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 with a percentage increase of two percent in the first, three percent in the second and 10 percent in the third year. In disclosing how much the agreement will cost the country, Minister of Public Administration, Dr Lenny Saith, who witnessed the signing, urged public servants to make good use of the money. “It’s a lot of money that you are going to get into your pockets, so you can afford to put some into the Unit Trust, because it is safe,” Dr Saith said. He found that the country should increase its savings rate, “because you can’t afford to depend on the revenue that comes out of the country’s natural resources.”

Dr Saith stressed that the growth of the country is in the hands of the public service. “Public servants must see themselves as the people who are delivering service to the country and the community,” said the Minister. He paid tribute to the CPO, Sandra Marchack, whom he referred to as a tough, but good negotiator. Dr Saith said Government was happy with the agreement. “The Government recognises the need to upgrade the salary levels of its public servants. “Anything we can do to make the public service a better one, the Government is committed to that,” said Dr Saith.