Freezing the implementation of the job evaluation report (2020-21) that also stops all the increments of public servants' salaries and allowances for two years is ill-thought and unlawful.
The time frame for evaluating public servants jobs and salary increments is well stipulated in law.
This exercise is done through public participation, where workers are directly involved. Therefore, changes should have been done through consultations with workers, who are already struggling.
This move is going to affect nurses' CBA, whose conclusion and implementation was expected to be done by the end of this year. This was after being hampered by roadblocks erected by SRC.
Stopping the increments is going to demoralise nurses and other health workers, who are traumatised in the line of duty fighting Covid-19 without enough support and motivation.
The pandemic has greatly affected middle and low-income earners.
Since it is still going to be here with us, it shouldn't be used as the reason to deny public servants their rightful salary adjustments, while we know the political class and other senior government officers will continue getting any amount of money or salary they want.
We condemn this move and ask the government and the SRC to stop it. They should involve workers in reviewing its impact and come up with a decision that will not subject us to adverse economic effects and suffering.
I believe there are many options in non-important government expenditure, especially the political activities that are being funded from the national coffers that can be withheld to save more money for economic stability.
It can't be right to target the little salary increments to poor public servants struggling with all the burdens of hard life that have pushed hundreds of them into depression and suicide.
I call upon all the workers' unions to resist this move by the SRC, which has outlived its mandate.
The KNUN deputy general Secretary spoke to the Star
