5% COLA for civil servants plus review of lower salaries
(CNS): Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has announced the approval of a 5% increase in the cost of living allowance for civil servants, which will start on 1 January. She said the pay raise is to address the widening gap between salaries and the rate of inflation, and there is a need to bolster overall compensation packages to keep them competitive with the international and local talent market. The premier also said the lower salaries are to be reviewed and increased to ensure no civil servant earns less than $3,000 per month.
The premier revealed the pay increase during Thursday’s meeting of parliament. She said civil servants “work tirelessly to deliver government services to the public” and ensure the smooth running of government, which relies on them to fulfil policy objectives.
“It is imperative that the government ensures civil servants are not at a disadvantage in terms of their salaries and can live comfortably in the same community they serve,” she said, adding that there would be a review of lower pay grades.
“In the coming months, the government, along with the senior leadership in the civil service, will be reviewing additional pay strategies to address the salaries of those civil servants on the three lowest pay grades, namely grades R, Q and P. The aim of this future project… is to uplift those pay grades so that the minimum pay that any civil servant can receive will be $3,000 a month.”
She said the initiative was supported by the government and it would ensure that civil servants are properly compensated, adding that she expected the opposition to support the review.
On behalf of civil servants, Acting Deputy Governor Eric Bush expressed gratitude for the COLA increase, saying it was “timely and necessary”. Pointing to the rising cost of living and the impact it has on civil servants, he said the ability to implement the COLA was a reflection of the commitment by the civil service to financial prudence.
While it was not clear how the pay increase would be funded, it was implied it would come from the anticipated surplus at the end of the year.
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Category: Government Administration, Politics
All contracted Civil Servants should be paying 20% Insurance costs and School fees for their basketload of imported kids.
If Ken Jefferson wasn’t too busy cooking the books, we’d honestly have the highest Debt to GDP Ratio of any country or territory in the world. Higher than Japan’s 232% or Lebanon’s 215% We need to talk about the two billion dollar lie that is going to bite us.
Inflation rate is 1.7% Why bother having the ESO office (and giving them a raise) if our MPs aren’t going to rely on their data?
What about the Government Authorities? No COLA for us?
Authorities have been in a bind when it comes to any of these big issues for many years now ever since the Public Authorities Act required them to hand over, every year, I believe all but $100,000 of their cash. This means central Government has all the profit any of them made, and they all have to go asking for approval for the money to do things like give raises. Central government would rather give a bigger increase to civil servants than a smaller increase to all public servants.
Grossly overcompensated already, so no.
4.01pm and Election workers who get a small stipend.
For many years, seemingly with the consent of co-conspiring successive Cabinets, Ken Jefferson has been omitting $2 billion dollars in real, maturing, Civil Servant liabilities from the CIG Balance Sheet. How are we going to pay for that?
Why is he still in a job with all the professional accountant firms…oh yes, controlled!
@CNS do you know if this $3,000 pm figure include the value of monthly pension and health insurance contributions, or excluding?
CNS: No, we don’t know. I think it’s hypothetical at this point, i.e. before the review.
The GOCs have to pay these from salary..so even lower low wages for staff
$2,000 monthly maybe.
Criminal wages for families in 2024.
what happened to the minimum wage recommendation. the government is not saying anything why.
Very upset that government turned down recommendations from Hurlston report. It’s one thing to keep rewarding civil service – sure way to get re-elected and cd be seen as clear conflict of interest. But Cayman will not work without an external labour force of people who want to work, work hard and need appropriate pay and housing. It all makes the wheel go round. Don’t kill those who make the economy work for everyone.
The problem with percentage raises for employees is that it widens the income gap. As a onetime bargaining committee member for a governmental agency, we decided to take the amount of funding allocated for the raises and split that amount equally among each of the employees. We only accomplished this during one bargaining cycle but the secretaries who answered their phones were glad to get the same dollar amount as their supervisors who were unavailable during the work day.
This extra pay will cost $57,000;000..!
Government will be bankrupt in no time at all and WE are going to have to pay for it with increases to OUR cost of living.
Our uneducated, unemployable, unprincipled MPs are ignorant of the consequences of their self serving decisions.
“Secretaries who Answered phones.”..?
I wish SOMeone would answer their phone…! 4,5,6 calls and messages is what it takes, over several days.
I got a response to an enquiry over Two months later. The boilerplate response addressed a question I hadn’t even asked.
Incompetence, unregulated inefficiency, no accountability.
World class indeed… 3rd world class that is.
The 5000 or so civil servants are not all Caymanians, and even if they were, would barely amount to a quarter of today’s enumerated voters – many of them concentrated to specific home districts. It won’t even win an election – just waste money.
Still trying to understand how the cost of living here is so very high and getting higher every day? Then you went through the CIG government school system and you will never be smart enough to understand. Unsustainable is a magic word here meaning soon come.
I mean if you genuinely want the answer
Partially just the reality of importing absolutely everything which is what we do- partially the regime of indirect taxes we have decided which target everyone in theory but in practice are really only an issue for poor or middle-class consumers – and the biggest component is greedy businesses who mark up prices for goods and services just because they can and because no one holds them accountable. All of that mixed in with relatively stagnant wages especially once you account for annual inflation. No government has any incentive to do anything because rich interests on island will see them pushed out of public life one way or another and fund their opponents directly if need be. There is also a sizeable chunk of money that leaves the jurisdiction via foreign workers every month but that again is to be expected with tens of thousands of temporary foreign workers who come here willing to do work for wages they could only dream of in their own countries that are unappealing for most Caymanians
The Compass has had some great articles over the past few years pointing out that average rent had increased something like 20% between 2018 and 2019- just because landlords can basically (rent on average has doubled since 2015 which isn’t even 10 years ago)
https://www.caymancompass.com/2024/02/12/fewer-sales-rising-rents-but-positive-signs-for-property-market-revival/
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/09/08/rents-rise-nearly-20-within-a-year/
We have essentially created the perfect storm of reliance on imports, greedy businesses & landlords who have a captive markets, no pushback from government, little competition, along with stagnant wages and enough well off free market ideologs who think that as long as people aren’t literally homeless everything is going swimmingly.
Nail meet hammer!
FYI, insurance has gone up significantly and I suspect will again after all those storms that hit Florida. Expect even more increases!
Just cancelled my insurance. 30 years of paying with no claims and it just passed 12k a year and rising. I can’t keep paying that amount as a retired person.
I now need to choose between food, water and electricity and a roof over my head or insurance tbat may or may nit be used
Car is 27 years old. keeps going and cheap to fix.
Did somebody say election?
A perfect explanation as to why RCIPS have been hammering roadusers in recent weeks.
Soft targeting = Income raising from fines = Payrise for Civil servants!
Cynical exploitation!
I honestly start to believe these theories when I see them standing up in the shade on the straightest highway roads of Grand Cayman, especially near Lakeside, just to shoot fish in a barrel.
It’s as if they get a commission per ticket how hard they try – hiding in bush is “rambo’s” favorite thing to do in Cayman Brac.
Hammering? you been smoking something? It hasn’t even been a mild tap!
As someone who doesn’t understand how income is allocated, you don’t need to comment here, when you’re so wrong about something.
Cha-Ching! I$ thi$ loyalty and vote buying in di$gui$e? I think so!
“The government consists of a gang of men and women exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.” – H. L. Mencken
Do they also get the 5% on their second jobs that they do while at their Govt job?
$3,000/mth and s $17.34/hour based on a 40hr week. Not bad for unskilled entry level jobs where no one is held accountable and nobody gets fired. Juju couldn’t care less. She will do anything for votes come next election.
Civil Service work week is 37.5 hours, for those who bother to show up.
Deduct rain, sick, pd, nail days from that baseline assumption.
the 37.5 is sum total for all civil service workers. not a per person
This is not economically sustainable, especially if their unfunded pension and health entitlements are considered. The civil service is far too big, and far too inefficient. It is breaking us.
The government is broke and had to borrow 150 millions just last month. Where will the money come from?
But they are paying “consultants” Millions as we speak pushing ahead with a $160Million new prison which will bankrupt the country. The annual cost of running the facility of 250 foreign staff, utilities, insurances, food costs pensions health maintenance, EVERY year.Add loan repayments.
Spend the $10 Million in fees alone to upgrade the existing Northward and stop being pushed by those who have so much to gain .
The money will come from you and me 7.19.
The cost of living will therefore increase, triggering another COLA for Civil servants and the overpaid snouts in their golden troughs.
Will that be Pepsi or Coke?
congratulations to all our hard working civil servants. this is well deserved.
the injection of millions of dollars in our community will be welcomed by all.
from the comments I note the jealous bugs are out.
this is wonderful news and so well deserved. I have seen so much improvement in the Civil Service in the past few years. So many of my friends and family have joined the service and are very happy.
I hope my employer follows the government lead.
Shouldn’t you be more concerned with the question of whether those who require the civil service, ie. the general public who they serve, are happy? If they are happy, then you should be happy.
Only sometimes are the General Public happy with our civil service. Too often we are ashamed and embarrassed.
Long overdue for those scraping the bottom of a dry barrel at less than $3000 each mon.
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly…who she?
She doesn’t exist. There is no ‘ O.
The Premier believes that all civil service employees deserve a minimum monthly income of $3,000. I am fine with that as that is slightly above what one needs to live here.
But $3,000 a month implies $18.75 per hour over a 160 hour work month. So how can she remotely justify leaving the general minimum wage at $6 per hour??? How is that fair?
Bad Math!!
Noone can save at $3,000 per month
Mere Existence at that salary. Too Low
And yet our government, whose function is to appropriately regulate us and keep us safe, facilitates the import and retention of more than 10,000 foreign nationals with remuneration far below that.
Simple answers: 1) She can’t. 2) It’s not fair. Sorry to say – Your Premier and Ministers did not excel in simple math/basic accounting – guess they were Cayman Educated. The next generation of Cayman students will be even less sufficiently educated for even 2’nd world intellect (I have a huge short bet on the Cayman education system failing to get from 3’rd world to 2’nd world) – Please, Please, Please prove me wrong. If not – you are doomed to a 3’rd world service industry/population with no ability to control your situation, and 1’st world $$$ dictating your existence. Cayman – get your education system in order!
You can wake up a person who is sleeping but you can’t wake up a person who is acting like sleeping…
This is not just unfair but discrimination on wages.
what about the pensioners, they are the truly he ones that worked had, going in early and staying
late to see everything is good for the Government. Not like the ones today living in the shops(Brac) and eating
on government time.
Remember is 52 weeks a year. not 48 weeks. so x wages per hour by 40 hour week x 52 ÷ by 12 will give correct monthly wages. Got it ?
Finally! The govt pay gap is real!
And those good workers serving at less than $3,00/month should be given backpay.
Especially so in the GOCs where there is much disparity!
Government has no money, taking out loans and how much deficit! Wakey, wakey!
Many in the civil service have a sense of entitlement- as in they have been there 10, 12, 16, 20 years so I am entitled to a raise. Beofre the pay raise, the questions that should be asked are- has your perfomance been raised?, has your educational level been raised?
But the timing is impeccably effective 4 months before elections, thus making the argument for vote buying.
First we had KB asking for taxi drivers to ‘protest’ the need for a cruise port (vote buying) now we have this pay increase (vote buying).
Vote buying – this is the way in Cayman. News Flash: The ENTIRE WORLD KNOWS THAT CAYMAN IS UP FOR BIDS.
and newsflash… vote buying = corruption as is all the dodgy conflicted deals behind closed doors, misappropriation of environmental funds, abuse of position and the public purse. And don’t get me started about failure to give/take breathalyser and blood tests when politicians have single vehicle accidents . I’m not just pointing at recent incidents with BT politician. I’ve lost count over the years. It seems there are no consequences for them, they are never held to the same standards as the rest of us.
Governor, why do you just sit there only watching? Or are you asleep at the wheel?
HEADLINE NEWS!!
The Premier and Deputy Governor distinctly fail to promise 5% increase in efficiency in the Civil Service output……or 3% or even 1%!?
Franzies for All!
5% pay raise for 35% reduction in performance.
Pay raises should be EARNED, not given.
not really, if it’s linked to the inflationary increase in cost of living.
Hardcore vote buying. these sorts of decisions should be announced by one of the infinite boards we have, not from a minister.
This is called buying the votes. What will Seymour offer to get his votes? Rides on his donkey? This woman is sickening.
For sure won’t be rides in a Tahoe, unless he has gotten a replacement.
The crane is after him seeking revenge for it’s injuries!
Were the ‘culprits’ ever caught? Did they really exist? It’s gone very quiet on that topic.
Another glorious day for the civil service……time for more awards franz!
Keep asking….
How many recommendations of the miller-shaw or ernst & young reports have been implemented?
Also glorious day for lunch time expensive red wine sales at senior civil servant’s favorite restaurant .
11@ 2.02pm I’ve seen a senior CS (Finance Ministry) enjoying long lunches at Ragazzi. You’ll find the same man regularly in ALT during working hours.
Me? I’m retired and beholding only to God.
Well, well surprise, surprise, vote for me!!
No money???
There we go! Juliana and the CI Gov buying votes again….shouldnt this sort of announcement and pay rise so close to an election be illegal and automatically investigated and then prosecuted?
WTAF!
Whatever happened to CIG paying people what they are worth not more than they are worth?
The Premier just loves spending other people’s money. It has to give her great satisfaction.
Step in the right direction. No employer should be paying less than a living wage (below the NAU assistance line). But until we get that it is right for the Government to lead by example.
Brainwashed!
Brainwashed? Is that what you call someone who believes it is right to pay below poverty wages? For any job.
if you look at the Government latest financial performance the civil service has saved $25m in their HR budget. More than enough to fund the COLA.
I know the private sector regularly gives huge bonuses and COLA. I hope those that don’t will follow the civil service lead.
I have been working in the Civil Service for the last 5 years after 15 years in the private sector.
joining the civil service was my best decision. Working for an employer whose leadership cares about its employees is so refreshing.
Guess we know who you voting for then!
it ever dawned on you that if you weren’t valued after 15 years maybe you’re not a valuable employee?
Ahhh, the good old “spend it or lose it’ civil service mentality.
Yes they have done very little hiring all year so they can give a raise to people already working there. Meanwhile I continue to be jobless. Enjoy your raise.
Well, we need some way of knowing when elections are upcoming.
1. 5% isn’t in line with the high cost of living here.
2. When raising those bottom salaries to $3K I hope they will be getting more responsibility and training. No one should get a raise in salary just to make Juju look good. We all need to earn it.
Hey, making JuJu look good is no easy task.
Election time.
Soon we will only have WP holders and people who work for CIG.
Stupid comment. I’m Caymanian, work in the private sector and would rather stop work than work for Government. I’d go postal within a very short period of time.
2:39. You have no idea how crazy that comment is.
for most Caymanians serving their country is an honor. shame on you.
I don’t want to sound like a gov shill but I busted my ass in high school to get a government scholarship and obtained a very specialized degree.
I’ll just say it is being applied 100% to the benefit of all people who live in the Cayman Islands, and that makes me happy to go to work; it gives me purpose and connects me to my public sector employer’s mission.
At the end of the day, yes, I am a generational Caymanian civil servant, and I am happy to give back to my people through my services, despite a few bad apples ruining the image of the lot.
Serving your greedy corrupt politicians, not the Cayman people!
A paid job with #worldclass benefits is not even remotely “serving my country “ stfu with that bullshit
Cayman Brac
Rich people getting richer while poor people getting poorer! Any raise in civil servant wages cash come from taxpayers! Government need to cut back on number of civil servants working.
Or cut out those not working and still getting.
Start with the ones nor working
They need to cut back on budgets and spending whilst improving systems and processes to increase efficiency, which has been at an all time low for decades.
Maybe if they put in the work. Until then, work harder!
Yay! But I am still not voting for them.
Vote buying, nothing to see here.