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Salaries for LB employees reduced
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Posted on Jan 18 2009
To cope with a tightening budget, the Legislative Bureau is cutting the salaries of all employees.
LB director Glenna S.P. Reyes said administrative staff employees have received salary reductions, while the professional staff employees were issued termination notices. They will be offered new contracts with reduced salaries, she said.
“It’s just very unfortunate that this decision has to be made to lower salaries given the financial condition,” she said.
Reyes said she does not intend to terminate any employees as long as the budget allows, but in order to do that employees must receive reduced salaries. The salary reduction will occur across the board—from director on down, she said.
The LB’s budget was initially reduced by 10.7 percent. Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s decision to slash the budgets of all government agencies further reduced the budget by 5.5 percent to $1.3 million, Reyes said.
“Nobody wants to have their salary reduced,” she said. “To be frank, just no one wants it. But everyone is aware of our economic conditions at the LB. I ask for their cooperation and understanding. I need us to continue working as a team and make the best of what we have.”
The budget for operations, she said, has been reduced to $80,00 for the rest of the fiscal year. The revised fiscal year 2009 budget recently passed by the House of Representatives budgets $1.61 for the LB—$1.37 for the 33 full time employees’ salaries and $239,526 for non-personnel.
The director said the LB has been working on ways to reduce operating costs, including shutting down the air conditioner every night and reducing paper consumption.
Reducing the workweek to four days would allow employees to seek other employment to make up for the salary reductions, Reyes said. Senate President Pete Reyes and House Speaker Arnold Palacios have discussed reducing the workweek by one day.
But, the director said, the decision lies with the Legislature. They must pass the austerity holiday law or decide to shutdown the entire Legislature once a week.
“As you know, the LB is created for the sole purpose of supporting the Legislature. If the Legislature is going to open five days a week, we will open five days a week,” she said.
