22 percent pay rise for Vanuatu Government workers

Over 6,000 government employees in the public service, teaching service, the police, parliament and those under the Official Salaries Act, will receive a pay rise for the first time in 11 years that will cost the Government of Vanuatu nearly Vt1.9 billion (US$17.65 million).

The last increase was in 2006 to increase the salary of all government workers. Hence, this pay rise has been a long time coming, the Government Remuneration Tribunal (GRT) Board and all the stakeholders agreed.

On Saturday, November 18, 2017, the three-member GRT Chairperson, Marie-Antoinette Nirua, Vice Chair, Chris Kernot, and Member Roan Lester, signed the documents approving the pay rise of 22 per cent that will become effective on January 1, 2018.

These documents included the salary review reports and salary scale determinations.

Stakeholders’ representatives – Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Martin Mahe, Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission, Derek Alexander, Commander Job Esau representing the Police Service Commission, and the Acting Clerk of Parliament, Leon Teter were present to witness the signing ceremony of the pay rise by the GRT Board and the Acting Director General of the Office of the Prime Minister, Gerard Metsan.

This week the new salary increase will be recorded in the Government Gazette by the State Law Office.

Also a workshop will be held by the Office of the Department of GRT with stakeholders to help with the implementation of the pay rise to be effective on January 1, 2018.

A total of 3,731 teachers under the Teaching Service Commission will receive the new salary grading approved by the GRT Board, and over 2,000 civil servants, over 600 police officers, all Members of Parliament and staff of the Parliament of Vanuatu, all government ministers and their political appointees of the government.

The government employees in the following sectors – Parliament, officers under the Official Salaries Act (OSA) comprising of government ministers and their political appointees, support staff of government ministries and the Leader of the Opposition, Chiefs of Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, Public Service, Police and its civilian staff, teaching service, and workers in government institutions including Vanuatu Institute of Technology, Vanuatu Institute of Teacher Education, Vanuatu Maritime College, and Vanuatu Agriculture College, will be affected.

“This work (new salary increase) has been possible only through your support the stakeholders and your submissions given through the review.

“We had different expectations, but at the end we must come to a consensus,” Chairperson Nirua said before the signing.

She told the stakeholders that the work of the review was now complete and in line with the provisions of the GRT Act, any changes to the new salary scale can only be considered after one year.

“After today’s signing we will send the new salary scales to each commission and stakeholders before the end of this year, said Niurua.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST/PACNEWS