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We still can’t afford pay increases
Gov. Eloy S. Inos said yesterday that the government still cannot afford implementing within-grade increases because it remains under austerity. Moreover, even if the austerity is lifted, there is still no funding for any such salary hikes, which could cost $5 million to $6 million a year.
Inos echoed acting Personnel director Joseph M. Pangelinan’s memo that within-grade increases are still not allowed.
Since 2001 under the administration of governor Pedro P. Tenorio, within-grade increases have been suspended. Subsequent governors continued to uphold and maintain the suspension.
Inos said the fiscal year 2014 as well as the 2015 budgets won’t be able to accommodate any within-grade increase.
“The budget is pretty much consumed without the wage increase,” the governor said.
The governor added that legislation may also be needed to address the within-grade increase that’s been suspended for at least 13 years.
“The employees could say, ‘yeah I need all the wage increase that’s due me for the last 10 years.’ We can go ahead and say okay, we’re going to unfreeze the restriction and allow for wage increase starting this year but they have to wait. [There’s] just a host of many issues,” Inos added.
The Office of Personnel Management warned that some personnel actions for within-grade increases have been processed in violation of a 2001 suspension. OPM said it will return any such personnel action to the originating department or agency because of the “continued suspension of the benefit.”
