‘This is harsh, but you prefer a little increment & no job?’- Premier to civil servants
Those were the words of Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) to government employees as it relates to their unpaid increments.
Premier Fahie said the government has to decide if it will pay its employees their increments as promised in light of the difficulties posed by the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic affecting the globe.
Increments for 2016 were first promised by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government in November 2019, and while the majority have been paid, at least 250 or ten percent of employees who had not been paid were promised they would receive payments by February 28, 2020.
Increments or jobs?
Six months later and affected by COVID-19, Premier Fahie said: “That is the question that I am asking public officers because that’s where we are right now.”
He continued: “So if persons want to bombard the minister for finance and say ‘we want our increments’ I can give you the increments tomorrow, but rest assured that once everybody gets their increments, I have to decide now, based on what’s coming in, and what we just did with the increments, what we are going to do and who’s gone in terms of employment and that’s the reality of it.”
Notably, 2,892 or 90 per cent of public officers have been paid their 2016 increments that had been due since the National Democratic Party (NDP) regime was in office.
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15 Responses to “‘This is harsh, but you prefer a little increment & no job?’- Premier to civil servants”
I am grateful I still have a job and getting paid. Because they should know by now a lot of people are hurting and without job.
So hold the increment. You will not be the first government to do such. The only difference is this government has a valid reason for such.
Moreover, the expenditure is probably exceeding revenue stream and that no doubt can be problematic. If a cistern is leaking more water than is coming into it, the facility owner has a major problem that needs urgent attention . If the revenue stream and expenditure plan continues, government will have no choice but to make some controversial and unpopular structural adjustments. I would take a wild guess that there are already a number of structural adjustment bands on the table. These are unprecedented, tough and challenging times that require strong leadership and tough decision making. In good times decisions are easy but tough times require VI tough decision making.