Civil servants getting one-off payment of $1,500
(CNS): Core government workers will be getting an additional CI$1,500 in their December pay packets to help with the cost of living and to reward their contributions. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said the cash payments were being funded by the efficiencies and savings made this year in public spending. The new leader told parliament that the country owed civil servants a “tremendous debt of gratitude”.
O’Connor-Connolly said the civil service had helped to reduce spending by some $66 million during this current fiscal period, allowing government to roll out initiatives that have helped the whole community, such as the subsidy of CUC bills this summer. She said the bonus was one of three things the new UPM had rolled out during its first week.
One was an amendment to the National Pension Act, which had just been passed, to allow Caymanians access to more of their funds for home loans, and the other was an increase in pension payments for former civil servants.
The premier said the government was working on increasing the ex gratia pension given to retired public sector workers from $950 up to CI$1,250, starting in December. She said this would make a significant difference to the lives of these pensioners.
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Category: Government Finance, Politics
100% VOTE BUYING and should be recognised as nothing else. This woman will bring these islands down.
What about employees of statutory bodies? Why is this limited to Core civil service?
I’ll bet the Port Board will find it necessary to similarly reward themselves and workers… elections coming up for them and their political sponsors.
At the Port Board we have decided to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas Cayman Style!
Who’s your true love on the first day of Christmas…?
If there were some yardsticks to performance I would not mind so much. Unfortunately in this case, the lord maketh His sun to shine on the just and the unjust.
Civil Service = NAU in disguise
It stinks of jealousy in here.
That your top lip you smellin
Smells like fiscal prudence to me.
Even more ironic as we consider envying others is against one of the ten commandments
Not that I follow that religious nonsense like other Caymanians, but we claim the title of unofficial theocracy here sometimes.
The CMR mob is leading the charge against this. So predicatble after Mr. Panton is not the Premier after all.
From shaming children to creating jealousy and divisions in our society, no one does it better.
Mob of the unemployed, unemployable and uninformed.
Just wondering if the Pensioners will get the $300 retroactive back to August 2023 as was passed unanimously in the September 2023 sitting of the Parliament.
can’t help but laugh at the ignorance of some when a valid question is asked!
Dear Wondering Pensioner, I sincerely hope and they should make the $300 uplift retroactive from September 2023. However as I always say what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Let’s watch and see.
it was passed in the September sitting by Parliment retroactive back to August 2023 unanimously!
United People’s Movement version of BUYING VOTES and trying to drink the largest union in the country into thinking they earned it for all their hard work in Manderson’s world class civil circus.
This new Premier and Minister of Finance Juliana O’Connor Conolly at this rate will bankrupt these islands due in part to the complete disregard sound fiscal management policies and will at this rate max out CIG credit cards and credit ratings.
Better to call for new elections. Cayman cannot afford this over the next 16 months til 2025 elections.
A blind man can see this.
What’s quite strange about this as well is I thought that the Civil Service is separate and independent to the Government of the day.
So why and how the hell is JuJu handing out bonuses to the Civil Service?
UDP/CDP/UPM still subscribe to the voter polling of early 2000’s and bet that it remains unchanged. The civil service was the biggest voter block back then, some 5000 votes of 10-12,000 registered. Christian fundamentalists are stabile to declining at around 2500 voters. Today there are nearly 25,000 registered voters, mostly unserved by these niche giveaways of our money.
In my opinion we all know SO MANY CIVIL SERVANTS WHO DID NOT DESERVE THIS AS THEY MAKING LOTS OF MONEY NOW BY STEALING SO MUCH TIME FROM THE GOVERNMENT….. You all know the dedicated staff who are always there on time and do work you all know the ones who don’t work but rather choose to go on Facebook and Instagram and TicTok all day on there phones or drive up and down wasting time and some wasting gas in government vehicles Let’s start awarding them when they really work
Preach it!!!!!
Hey Juju, I’ve got a better idea, – $1000 inside one of Kenny’s worthless luxury tote bags instead.
12% non-contributory pension, Cinico healthcare with 100% cover/no-copay for entire family and now a $1500 top up.
Total mismanagement of public money!
100%
110%
111%
The Premier’s decision to grant civil servants a one-time $1,500 end-of-year bonus has both positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, it recognizes and boosts morale among approximately 4,000 employees, potentially stimulating local spending. However, critics argue that the bonus may not address long-term financial concerns, and questions about fiscal responsibility and equitable distribution may arise. The decision should be evaluated considering both short-term recognition and long-term financial stability for civil servants.
Who are you trying to fool? Local spending? LOL Miami spending, duh!
And import duty dodging.
Womp womp. Lower your prices.
Thanks very much Madam Premier. I am one the $950 pensioner uplifted to $1250 effective December 2023. However, could consideration be given also to hard-working Statutory Authority civil servants and retired civil servants namely the Pensioners for an Honorarium. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. We all are hurting.
Why didn’t you save for retirement?
Some of the pensioners such as myself fall into this category. After 18+ years working for the CI Government I had to be retired because genuine medical reasons( medical boarded) by the CI Government at quite a young age.In my opinion exceptions should be given to those in this category through no fault of their own they find themselves in a very tight spot. I agree, just that one shoe don’t fit everyone and that must be taken in to account!
That’s an unfair comment.
The people of the Cayman Islands that started contributing to pensions when the program started could never have assumed a cost of living situation comparative to today. These costs have been amplified exponentially by exterior forces obviously but made worse by allowing the type of growth that has gone on in Cayman on all fronts. Additionally the pension management companies have not performed anywhere near the standards demanded of them year on year due to the ineffectiveness of the pensions law.
While the one time payment is a poor decision as it will be spent in a literal heartbeat on Christmas presents and parties it’s better in the hands of the taxpayer than lost in an outdated pension scheme and government budgets.
the government can’t mandate private companies pay bonuses. you should ask your boss why they haven’t thought of doing something similar.
We were told their costs have gone up and so in order to pay themselves the same bonus as last year we the employees get less or none and have to absorb the COL increases also.
That seems fair right?
Vote buying at its finest.. Julie was a student of Kurt Tibbetts and Alden..
This is the reason we will never rid this country of them. Now by throwing $1509 at the civil service they have guaranteed themselves one of the largest blocks of voters.
When will we learn to take their money and then vote them out.. Is $1500 really worth selling your soul?
yes
It’s not their money it’s yours if you are Caymanian and many civil servants are grateful for the little help this time of year . Remember house insurance is around the corner and it seems that is going up again across the board!
It’s yours if you are Caymanian? All expats pay the same duties and fees you do. It’s EVERYONE’S money.
The difference is, as a non-voting expat you have no right to say how that money is spent even though you contribute. The money belongs to the electorate! But Caymanians are entitled huh?
I appreciate you.
You think that only civil servants face those costs? What about the taxpayers who are funding the handout? It’s a straight forward transfer from everyones pockets to the civil servants
What tax you speak of?
Souls have been sold long time
Caymanians that don’t work for civil service don’t get their share of whatever this is…vote buying. Welcome back to the UDP.
Door private sector get a Christmas bonus normally ?
If you worked for it and earned it yes.
Never had one in 15 years. Most I get is $50 CBay gift card.
Spot on!
This is madness!! First you all raiding my pension so people can pay off their loans to get more loans? Then nothing will be left at my retirement. Now you raiding the profits for this fiscal so government can borrow for capital expenditure for the next year!! Then you all increase the cost on construction materials and groceries so that you can all take the $1,500 back. Make this make sense!!
Why not lower utilities? Lower fuel? Lower bank fees? It would be good everyone benefits verses a few.
Spot on!
The government does not own the Power Utilities, the fuel companies, or the Banks so they can not lower anything there, they have lowered the fuel tax that the government collects from CUC, what else do you want them to do?
Stop selling Cayman out!
We DID own the first Power Company AND Bank..but these were “privatized”, with the same politicians becoming the Owners/Shareholders.
From TruTru, Bennie, Ardie.. etc
Hey Rod you just landed a wha? Government collects revenue/fees from CUC, the fuel companies and the banks as well. They not going to bite the hands that feed them!!! It is sad when you look at the unsung heros who helped built and placed cayman on the map in the 70s and 80s and today they cannot even turn their A/C units on because of fear their electricity bill will be more than their pension. If government really wanted to help people, why not allow people to withdraw from their pensions and make it mandatory for everyone to obtain solar which in turn would reduce the islands carbon foot print and would place everyone in a better financial position. People could retire and be comfortable . This will not happen though. You see this would hit CUCs bottom line and in turn affect government’s income.
Premier Juliana O’Connor said the cash payments were being funded by the efficiencies and savings made this year in public spending.
Who was Premier during this year?
Judasanna is not for sale. But she has ensured that she has secured her voting pool in the Brac as 90% are core government employees. So, she is vote buying. I’m sure she convened with the Magical Man in the clouds to know she is doing the right thing.
CNS: Please, please let us be able to add a GIF.
Don’t forget feet n other things🧐
Gimme your vote
With all the hullabaloo … how we miss that Cayman now has its first ever female Premier?
CNS: This is not the first time JOCC has been premier, but yes, she was the first. Just not this time. See here.
Huh?
Wakey, wakey!
CIG – can you please pay the Caymanian landowners for which you (CIG) took their land or a portion of it and did not compensate them. Also, please be honest and pay them what it is worth. Some Caymanians are waiting over a decade to be paid.
Why not just cut the pretense and attach the money to a ballot paper.
can we blame the DG for saving the country $66m. Come on now we blame him for everything else.
Thank you DG and civil servants for this outstanding achievement. Thank you Premier and your government members. Caring about the people of the Cayman Islands is a refreshing start.
Before you praise the DG, count how many cases are at the Civil Service Appeals Commission
how many 9:10?
Nuff
3.16pm Savings on record revenue? how about saving the country some civil servants that would be far more effective.
This is just vote buying!
This is outrageous. Pure vote-boying.
billionaire’s own it!
I keep telling you all that she has a retail therapy addiction and needs to leave government as soon as possible.
She literally can’t help herself from spending the public’s money on whatever whim or fancy enters into her mind.
Pension amendment is very welcome.
The one off buying of wotes – not so much….
Its like, if you don’t work for, or didn’t work for the civil service, you just don’t count. We don’t even consider you.
All the other people and workers put INTO the economy and earn the government/islands money. The people ‘working’ in the civil service only take and cost money yet still it is only those who are rewarded again.
I just don’t get it.
Truth.
Voting themselves and their families some extra money and benefits. As expected.
No help at all for all the other people on the island? Just looking after yourselves again?
How much bonus they paying themselves?
No mental health facilities. No proper prison. No help for the elderly. Limited investment in the youth. No parks. No sidewalks. No proper prosecutions. Yet this…..what message does this send? Cut corners, do nothing, make little community improvement but get direct payments in your pockets – REGARDLESS of your personal poor performance. Absolute shambles.
Let the prisoners live in tents. No need to coddle them. Maybe, just maybe hard time will reduce recidivism.
Well said 4pm…only fear of punishment will dissuade crime.
Why is it Singapore does not have a drug problem…?
Why is there little or no theft in the UAE and other Arab countries..?
Our planned $100Million resort at Northward will merely offer an invitation to commit crime, with assurance that IF caught, comfortable board and lodgings await.
Posted yesterday:
amendment to the pensions law to allow Caymanians in the private sector access to the funds to pay off mortgages or purchase property’
Very worrying that government has any say in what ‘Caymanians’ in the private sector do with their pensions. Amend the law yes, to say ‘all people in the private sector have access to their pensions…’
Government has nothing to do with people’s money in the private sector, they never offer assistance and don’t care any other time, only the civil servants.
Pensions have lost money over the past few years, cost of living, bills, etc have all risen. How can anyone live on 1,000 per month pension when bills are more than 1,000 per month? If had been allowed to withdraw, could have purchased another property and had rental income. The governnent are creating poverty and robbing many of their own money, earning more interest on that money elsewhere and livlihood.
What is government’s definition of ‘Caymanian’?
No such thing exists. The definition of British Overseas Territories Citizen is well established.
I’m happy for those who receive this, genuinely, the cost of living here has gone from nuts, to almost untenable for most people.
But…these people already get their gold plated medical and pension benefits. This could have been allocated elsewhere so that more people benefit.
Cut import duty, licensing fees, stamp duty… anything!
thankful but next yr they be on same salary with higher cost of living! makes no sense…plus aint pensionable…ZZZZZ
Black Friday already!
Way to go UPM. This payment of $1500 goes to support and reward the following:
1- Poor performance by many in the CS,
2- Poor behaviour by many in the CS,
3- Abuse of Sick Leave by many in the CS,
4- Abuse of extended sick leave by many in the CS,
5- Misconduct and abuse of power by many in the CS,
and the list could go on. The CIG must stop treating all employees as equal as they are NOT and this payment, in my opinion will drive the country into some sort of recession.
With the new Pensions fiasco of withdrawing to pay even strata fees, one could infer that UPM stands for “Unlimited Poverty Massive”.
The CS is full of wasters and abusers. Such as the following that I have first hand knowledge of:
WORC, PWD, DES, NAU, CBC, DEH, DVES, DVDL, DLP, FRC, DOT, CIFS, Planning, PTU, and others that I am sure exist.
Another post was spot on, reward for bad behavior and abuse of time. Spending time on TikTok etc. and other social media. 65% of the CS couldn’t hold a job in the private sector if their life depended on it.
Vomit, vomit, vomit!
All for the civil service!
Should not be paid period but if it is then should only go to those making 4000.00 and less.
Well surprise, surprise! Only took a day for the $%&* to start.
Look at this….whose CUC bills have been subsidised?
‘had helped to reduce spending by some $66million during this current fiscal period allowing government to rollout initiatives that have helped the whole community such as the subsidy of CUC bills this summer.’
Everytime they applied the subsidy, my CUC (Electricity) bill increased by almost the same as the amount subsidized. So, was always paying the approx. monthly billing that I normally pay.
I normally pay ~CI$530 per month (i.e. pre-subsidy bill amount).
The same month of the subsidy, my bill increased to ~CI630 and the subsidy was ~CI$90- thus, resulting to the pre-subsidy billing amount. 😂
You mean … that applying the subsidy in summer when the bills were going up, and at a rate that was commensurate with the increases … did exactly what it was supposed to and kept the cost sin check? Wow. Only in Cayman can a programme working exactly as designed be seen as a programme not working as expected.
Will the Authorities like the airport workers be included in that $1500.00 for December?
For what?
nope, authorities and statutory are not included. got told in the meeting on Friday that we aren’t getting anything.
as per usual we are the red headed step child of government.
So they helped reduce spending but now we are going to reward them with more cash than we have to spend. There wasn’t enough of a surplus to cover this expenditure last I heard. This is ridiculous.
It’s like $7.5 million for the core government employee count. This isn’t a huge deal.
Honorable Premier you are wonderful. We all need money so get it for us please.
Thank you
LMAO Go wash feet!
All the butthurt downvotes coming from the private sector workers that signed up for 40 hours and week but have a expat boss telling them they need to come in more to the firm on Saturdays to hit 60 hours per week.
Caymanian here, working in the private sector. First off, people like you would never survive in the private sector. Too used to do nothing and expecting to get paid for it. How sad and pathetic. Enjoy you hangout. When that pittance is spent and your butt is broke again in January, I’ll still be enjoying my fat bonus from all my hard work this year. Oh and my boss is a lovely Caymanian too. We work hard for our money and proudly earn it. we don’t wait for handouts.
You mean the private sector that mostly get Christmas bonuses every year and don’t only get them when being sweetened by the new government hoping to be voted back in?
All the upvotes coming from the entitled Civil Servants who signed a contract to work 38.5 hrs a week but only bother to show up for 20 and work no more than 15
Laughable. Some companies in the private sector give bonuses that can be 10x that amount.
I can assure you that 10X bonus are often for middle and upper management, and maybe some senior positions, but not for the “general”/non management Administrators or Officers.
Private businesses earn their money by investing and taking risks. Civil servants have zero skin in the game and risk nothing if they perform poorly. In exchange for job security and easy work, civil servants should be paid 20% less than private sector employees.
“Butthurt”? Really? How about worrying how to feed your family. What kind of hurt is that, can you tell me?
the kind of hurt you should talk to your boss about?
it sucks that wages have grown stagnant across the board, but being upset that one sector gets better isn’t the solution. we should be looking at ways the increase wages across the board and working to support each other, not tearing each other down.
Yes , private sector workers who work for their living, and do so under scrutiny and with accountability.
Unlike civil servants who enjoy welfare state entitlement with benefits for life, paid for by the private sector.
What’s a core government worker?
Not a worker for a statutory authority or government-owned company.
If you not a civil servant… starve to death you fools. We got what we voted for.
is this consideredas vote buying? ona need to call it what it is. Upm or whztever ona sarting on wrong foot just like the ona cant learn. coconut heads.
a core voter
cayman is officially doomed…. time to petition the uk to end this madness.
I am a civil servant and I agree with you.
UK is in its own mess
Oh stop it, 10:14! The late Denis Foster told me the same thing nearly 40 years ago when he said he leaving Cayman and was going to Costa Rica because Cayman was effed. He did quite well there until a flood wiped out his farm. And Cayman still kept on going and he still kept getting his pension and his medical benefits…….from Cayman NOT Costa Rica. We Caymanians love to trash ourselves. We’ve had crap politicians before and still survived because we had a few who were not crap and…gasp…we have a civil service that despite the constant nasty trolling on CNS actually keeps us going
Well said in your last sentence, 8:49. But just watch the thumbs down!
8:49pm. Your last sentence is spot on. There are so many civil service haters. But deep down they know they cannot survive without our hard working civil servants.
I don’t recall all of this jealousy and hate during Covid when the private sector was at home and the civil service was working risking their lives for them.
Stop being so ungrateful. You know you are going to shortly reach out to a civil servant to make your life better.
Ahem… I think Dennis Foster had other reasons for his move ?