JOCC confirms $2,000 bonus for civil servants
(CNS): Public sector employees can look forward to a whopping $2,000 Christmas bonus after Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said on Friday that the government was in a position to make the one-off payment. The bonuses are estimated to add another $9.7 million to the budget, added to a 5% cost of living allowance in the New Year, with the goal to guarantee a minimum wage of $3,000 per month for civil servants.
Speaking on Radio Cayman, O’Connor-Connolly also said that the government was planning to give pensioners a bonus. “Santa Claus will not skip them over,” she said, and there will be “something in their chimneys”.
The bonus is being extended to public sector employees in statutory authorities and government companies as well, but the premier said that they will need to find the money from their own budgets. She said the wider payout of $10 million will come out of the existing government’s operating budget and will not require extra funding.
Nevertheless, the additional nearly $10 million is likely to make Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson nervous, given that he already said the government was “sailing close to the wind” of a deficit this year. Even before this announcement of more spending, the most recent figures relating to government finances showed that in October, the UPM administration was expecting a surplus of around $16.5 million.
That was already a significant drop from the originally forecasted surplus of $44.5 million when the budget was put together one year ago. If this Christmas bonus extends to pensioners, seamen, veterans and those receiving financial assistance, it could wipe out the entire surplus.
The government has not yet released the third quarter unaudited results for the public sector, though it is understood those accounts have been completed. That report should reveal the government’s revenue collection and spending up to the end of September and expectations for the last three months of the year.
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Category: Government Finance, Politics
Members of staff who do little to no work are getting this money. only criteria is that the person is not suspended. Go figure.
Only criteria is that you can and will vote for her. Typical third world criteria for leadership. Vote buying with the peoples money.
to 5.00 Where can we find this info?
I smell…. ELECTIONS!!!
Yet Election workers who work hard get nothing.
“Santa Claus will not skip them over,” she said, and there will be “something in their chimneys”.-Juliana O’Connor-Connolly
Thankfully JOCC will not seek reelection in 2025. Or we’d end up once again with her up our chimneys, might as well have an enema, because that’s exactly what comes about from her charge, 🤬💩
This is a shameful F U to the general public on her way out, the ones footing this 9+ million bill. Hopefully her “dream” $60 million school won’t come to fruition, especially at that exorbitant price tag serving for less than 200 students!
“Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” – Mark Twain
“Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” – Mark Twain
This is Unadulterated Vote Buying. There’s nothing else it would be, trying to disguise it as something other than makes a mockery out of many of us Caymanians who see through the fleecing.
We’ve always been too passive and quite about such obvious bad politics. I hope the younger generation doesn’t repeat same mistakes as they mature into young adults and start to come into their own, and make their own way in this world.
Let’s do the right thing always, the moral principle thing to do is root out and vote out such bad politicians!
$3,000 per month minimum is reasonable.
40 hours per week and 4 weeks per month gives us 3000/40/4 is a wage of $18.75 per hour.
And just like that JonJon has the figure to take to Parliament for the Minimum Wage Law.
Close, but let’s say there are 52 weeks per year at 40 hours a week, gives us 2080 work hours per year.
So we end up with a bit over $17/hour.
I’m sure neither of our calculations will make it through though…..
Minimum wage workers don’t get vacation pay, but you really need to give them time off every now and again.
Not really. Since they cant unite to fight the terrible Min Wages, then let them work without overtime or vacations.
4:34 pm,is not 4 weeks per month. it’s 52 weeks per year divided by 12 months, see if you are smart enough to do that math .
it’s more than 4 weeks per months.
don’t blame juju….blame ppm for letting this happen!
How?????
Didn’t they approve the sham budget?
How the F&$k is the PPM Opposition responsible for passing the Goverments budget? Do tha math please…PPM has 6 members of 19 how does that make them responsible ? And how does that absolve the rest of Parliament from their yes vote? This is a blatant CMR styled attack to distract the public from the truth but you would have to be an idiot to believe this argument. Sadly CMR appeals to idiots.
ppm bot alert on the thumbs
Is PPM also responsible for the next hurricane that forms?
A Premier who doesn’t understand basic economics! This is a third world country when it comes to many things – including politics. Anyone who believes she won’t run is a fool. She has fooled the people of this county too many times and people keep falling for it. I can hear it now ” God has spoken to me and told me he needs me and the people need me so i will do what God wants and run one more time”. Lord help the next government who needs to cleanup this mess and pay the tab. When these so called independents entered the term the county had a good reserve, minimal debt, a load that could be drawn on if needed after COVID, and financial prudence within the civil service. This bunch of idiots has changed that to massive borrowing, vote buying, crazy and unnecessary spending, AND they have not a thing to show for it. We need to get rid of one-person-one-vote and save this country.
I do agree with you but the only way she doesn’t run again is the fact that she will retire on the Premier’s salary.
There may be an angle to this that we haven’t considered, and that I have not heard being discussed:
If all civil service employees are now guaranteed to make a minimum of $3000/month, suddenly that excludes them from receiving NAU benefits. I only know for certain a half dozen CS employees that draw NAU benefits, but I suspect there are many more. This $10 million could turn out to be a sage investment. Maybe. We’ll see.
You have no right to fritter away my hard earned money.
How many CI CS on paid leave?
How many sick days per capita in the CI CS?
How may on full pay, early retirement?
Your hard earned money? Do you pay taxes?
Thanks. How those gov staff made it in the low salaries I just can’t fathom!
Now instead of complaining, others can please petition your private sector employers.
How can anyone survive in Cayman at less than $3 – $4,000/month as a Minimum?!
This is what feeds the cheap import foreign labor!
How about earning it by actually accomplishing something and achieving results that justify increased wages unlike the government welfare state where its free everything?
Open a business and sell something of value? Product or service? You don’t need a Caymanian partner. Loads of expats sell illegally in Cayman anyway – garage sales that are ongoing with new items, flipping items and selling them, selling food from their homes or from overseas and take orders locally to have delivered.
How about stopping all the buy a work permit bums and the other work permit holders running around cutting prices and taking on contracts when they have no business and trade license. This is killing legitimate businesses but the labor minister could give a crap as the whole labor department is filled with Jamaicans looking out for their fellow Jamaicans. Face it, Cayman is all for Jamaicans now.
4.02 They make it on less because they don’t pay Pension or Health Insurance which is at least 1000 if no family on plan. Therefore they actually take home more than most locals in private sector.
just another day in wonderland.
any comment ppm?
any comment Mrs governor?
The Governor has to ask the Premier & Bush for permission to speak as she is their little English lap dog.
The brits will do nothing.
The UK is facing gloomy outlook ahead with GDP to debt ratio so high.
Julianna is killing us
Richly deserved. The Civil Service has improved tremendously over the pass few years.
I note that the funds came from within existing budget. Well done!
Are you using the same civil service the rest of us uses?
Paying bribes to a quarter of the electorate isn’t going to shift perceptions for the other 75%, it just amplifies resolve to see her out asap.
You hit the very large nail on the head!.
She is not seeking reelection in 2025.
The other one has bells on it
Shameful burden of another $10,000,000 debt for those already well paid , who don’t need the money.
I’m sure people will say this is a “bribe” and an attempt to keep JOCC in power and that is a terrible thing to say. Just because she clings to power like a limpet clings to a rock and she jumps from one political party to another with the ease of a world class athlete does not mean she would try and bribe the electorate.
GOVERNOR, UK: ARE YOU SLEEPING AT THE BLOODY WHEEL STILL?
So angry at the blatant, utter corruption leading up to the elections. Handouts for everyone in the voting block to ensure their own futures.
This Governor is worthless and just a puppet for the premier. Why can’t we petition England to remover her for lack of any common seance?
Common seance? Might as well try that. This lot are dead from the neck up anyway.
The governor cannot interfere in local affairs unless there is proven criminal conduct, or we declare war on Cuba.
I wonder if an election is due?
So what happens to Government Pensioners who struggle to buy food and pay for utilities. We live on the same rock but receive a pittance as an afterthought.
Did you think to put some money away for retirement if your Govt pension was going to be modest?
9.48am do you not get free medical care?.
Sod them, 9:48. We need a $50+ million school on the Brac for 150 kids. The pensioners soon die anyhow and we need that monument on the bluff to Cayman’s greatest politician.
Since money grows on trees, and before we go broke, DONT FORGET THE PENSIONERS!
To have elections earlier than 30th April, would not be fair to all who will register to vote between now and 31st December, but we can categorically ask our current MPs to cease and desist from voting on any and all any capital projects for the remainder of the term. Rescind our mandate until election, so to speak. We need to go into damage control mode.
And one more matinée at the Grand Circus of the Cayman Islands Government folks ! I am surprised that they haven’t made it a weekly event as of yet ! I know , I should not give them any further ideas !
As of today ,the CIG is top heavy to a T with very few exceptions that are productive and results focused !
It only is a matter of time before the Financial Services Sector on island call it “that is it folks, we are packing!”
as it is , a lack of observance of the FFR will without fail be the spark to the powder keg in the holds of Starship Cayman and this administration will give it no rest until they have found a fuse dry enough to achieve just that!
Well the people of the Cayman Islands will be the ones to pay this back. When CI Government needs to recoup this money they will increase fees such as work permit, custom duties , license fees , passport fee to name a few . How will poor people take price increases on an island where everything is already over priced and expensive 👍👍
4:34 pm,is not 4 weeks per month. it’s 52 weeks per year divided by 12 months, see if you are smart enough to do that math .
it’s more than 4 weeks per months.
passport fees now goes to U k now,
Well the people of the Cayman Islands will be the ones to pay this back. When CI Government needs to recoup this money they will increase fees such as work permit, custom duties , license fees , passport fee to name a few . How will poor people take price increases on an island where everything is already over priced znd expensive 👍👍
What about her brackers constituents who vote her in . Why not take half of those funds and assist her poor brackers who is paying 10.00 on the brac for a box of corn flames. Split that ten million between her bracket and civil servants . It is just a shame , if she was running pnly the caymanian civil servants on the brac could vote for her. Why not help your caymanisn people in need who is homeless or strung out on drugs they need the most help 👌👌👌
Pure vote buying while the average Caymanian struggles everyday🤪🤪🤪
If there departments are performing well then im all fine with people getting a Bonus (one off payment that has now occurred twice) around Christmas time. However if you are taking the peoples money to handout for political reasons i will take the money and still vote you out for the betterment of my country as a whole.
LTD Da Unboozler
LTD Da Unboozler:
Precisely. People seem to forget that globally, nothing works without the public sector and civil/public servants have to pay water, electricity, buy food, make repairs to their home or cars, etc. like everyone else. They are part of the economy too.
Largely a parasitic relationship that will only last until the parasite consumes its host (private sector).
Ask yourself what does government actually produce and if they produce anything, is it value for money?
Vote buying.
What about the much deserving pensioners? No Santa Claus for them?
Money printer go BRRRRRRRR lmfao
Thanks juju, I guess the “I will legalize weed” card can’t be played again to secure votes against Elvis since you blatantly LIED about this as a last ditch effort to secure watrin place last election cycle.
Let’s see if you also go against what you said at a government staff function: thanking them for being good ciwil serwants who must not speak up against your BS publicly and saying this will be your last time as their minister since you aren’t running again..
Or you going mek sure that school named after you before you go, huh teedee? What a mess we in.
she not running next election. this is her last hoorah
That’s what MacBeaterBamboozler said, and you believe her too?
How about senior citizens, can we get something as well please?
No. We are forgotten. We had our chance, apparently, to build our fortune, and now that time has gone, so we are not going to get anything to help us. We will grow older, struggle, and die without help. So it goes. Selah.
Lets spend it all as we live for today and to hell with tomorrow. There are no limits on this woman and it seems like no one cares so why not just give every Caymanian a bonus as well Honorable Premier?
trump in a dress.
No, not every Caymanian – only those who live in Cayman Brac East – her district
I’ll wager she wouldn’t be so generous if it were her own money. Sheesh.
Vote buying at its worst! CIG is really turning from horribly incompetent to corrupt. It may be a child’s fable, but ‘killing the golden goose’ had a serious message. Cayman has put a bull’s eye on the back of any goose’s they can find! A failed territory is not where first world investors will be attracted to. But hey, most of the comments here deride first world money, so the Cayman electorate should be happy in a few short years.
They turned decades ago. We are under no illusion about the rampant corruption and conflicts within government. For the betterment of the Cayman Islands, our standard of living, future generations and savings on the public purse. They ALL need to be exposed, jailed and banned from future public service, regardless of political persuasion.
…and refuse to pass legislation raise the minimum wage beyond an impossible $6 per hour….
Vote buying at its best. Rather than government address the cost of living problem, they just pay themselves more money.
Oh they’re addressing it alright. They’re just lining their pockets while making a bad situation much, much worse.
Where is the governor? Why is the business community putting up with this? Where is the Chambers of Commerce? The woman has gone mad? Which house in a cayman has chimneys? What next, Santa Claus and reindeers? Then again we have Rudolf was just made DP!
Govt workers are way behind the cost of living at this time. Thank you we appreciate it ma’am
Government workers need to put in some real work instead of milking the cow all day.
…. If half of you turned up half of the time, and when you did, were productive for a quarter of the time, I’d say something….
“National Heros” for coming to work 3 wet Monday’s in a row” – # world class CI CS.
Let’s have an awards ceremony with an early department close at 12 noon on a Friday of a long weekend…
JOCC
Jingle On Christmas Clown and don’t be blocking up my chimney !!! 💸🙄
Almost time to wote guys!!!
Gov. Jane Owen is bloody useless and a prop for Premier Juju. To sign off on all the expenditures and projects it’s as if she is Juju’s campaign manager or loyal stooge. Somebody in the FCDO has to say no to all the madness before this ship of fools bankrupts the country.
The governor is a complete waste of space but that is probably why they sent her here. Isn’t she supposed to be some kind of accountant? If so do you think she could figure out that this old woman premier is spending more than we have.
Anywhere else it’s called VOTE BUYING in the run up to the April 30th 2005 Elections
Why not just slip a ballot paper into their stockings along with the cash.
Spend as if there is no tomorrow.
Maybe JuJu’s sky fairy has been going her some hints that the rest of us are not privy to?
Living cost will go up as taxpayers will foot the wage bill!
Many of your civil servants have Associates, Bachelors, Master’s, Leadership Diplomas, etc.
If anyone still doesn’t get it: it is the civil servants who get your work done. Ministers mostly report what their Chief Officers tell them; and some Chief Officers got the job for tenure, but depend on their staff to get things done.
is it black Friday?
More vote buying than telly’s flying out of Costuless!
Thank you, I’m voting you out.
Blatant vote buying! Where is our Governor on all this. This Government is determined to bankrupt the country before they are voted out next year.
We don’t have 8 ministers to pay so that’s more personell savings.
Private sector companies pay out millions in bonuses and profit sharing. This measly $2k is equivalent to what an entry level employee would get as a bonus in the private sector.
The money was found from within existing budgets. What better way for a government to spend savings that’s on its employees.
Thank you Premier Ministers and DG
Imagine how much we could save if all the dead wood civil servants were made redundant?
👍🏻 Couldn’t say it better myself.
Profit is the obvious word in this post.