The Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) says that the proposed salary adjustment by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is totally unfair for the 1.4 million employees who toil for almost 12 hours everyday despite the low salary.
BY NOEL SALES BARCELONA
Bulatlat
During the Sept. 3 National Budget hearing in the House of Representatives, Budget Secretary Rolando G. Andaya Jr., said that the national government has earmarked, for the proposed Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL3), P20 billion (US$428.68 million) from the proposed P1.4 trillion ($30.07 billion at the Sept. 19 exchange rate of $1:P46.56) national budget for next year. This, he said, will be used for the first tranche of the SSL3 in 2009.
The SSL3 will be implemented over a four-year period, beginning next year, according to Andaya.
According to Andaya, if the SSL3 is implemented, those who hold the rank of Teacher I and Nurse I in 2009, will have a salary increase from P12,026 to P13,542 or 12.6 percent higher than their current salary rates.
When SSL3 is implemented in full, their rate shall be at P18,088 per month.
On the other hand, Medical Officers I (doctors) and Legal Officers I (lawyers) will have an increase by 79.2 percent from P15,181 to P27,198, said Andaya.
The budget secretary also said that the two grade levels for teachers and nurses will also be upgraded from Grade 10 to Grade 11, while for doctors and lawyers are from Grade 14 to Grade 16.
Utility workers and those who are in clerical positions will on the average receive a 30-percent salary increase.
Unfair
However, the Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) says that the proposed salary adjustment by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is totally unfair for the 1.4 million employees who toil for almost 12 hours everyday despite the low salary.
Calling the SSL3 a “recycled version” of the Government Classification and Compensation Act earlier filed in Congress, which essentially gave higher compensation to professionals and executives and “starvation pay” to the rank and file as benchmark, Courage national president Ferdinand R. Gaite said implementing SSL3 would be like giving more meat to those who are already full while at the same time throwing only crumbs to those who are really hungry.
“Those who need the increase more should get the higher adjustments. The P20-billion allotment for pay hikes in the proposed national budget should benefit the metro aides, clerks, drivers, machine operators, public school teachers, nurses and other public health workers and other employees who are at the front-line of delivering vital services to the public. Otherwise, it will be another self-serving piece of legislation and an affront to the employees,” he explained.
Gaite accused the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government of driving a wedge between those who earn more and have allowances, pork barrel, discretionary funds and other privileges at their disposal.
The militant leader also said that any salary increase, both for private and public sector workers, must be on the basis of social justice, not patronage.
In 2006 the government implemented a what was supposed to be a P1,000 across-the-board salary increase grant. But not all government employees benefited from it.
“Most of the workers from the local government units (LGUs) did not get increases in their salary,” he said. Gaite added that many local government employees who got salary increases did so through the savings of their respective LGUs.
Gaite said that government workers’ unions must be strong and united to be able to negotiate for salary increases.
To date, the lowest paid government employee receives a gross pay of around P6,126, sans mandatory deductions like withholding tax, GSIS and PAG-IBIG premiums, etc.
Gaite stressed that they are still for a P3,000 across-the-board nationwide salary increase but definitely shall oppose the “outrageous pay hike biased for top officials.” (Bulatlat)
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A victim of the military's raid of a meeting of party-list groups in Cagayan Valley last week shows her injury. Anakpawis representatives Joel Maglungsod and Rafel Mariano have urged Congress to investigate the incident. (Photo courtesy of Karapatan) 
Soldiers destroyed the property of party-list groups in Cagayan Valley during a raid last week. Anakpawis representatives Joel Maglungsod and Rafel Mariano have urged Congress to investigate the incident. (Photo courtesy of Karapatan) 
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June 4th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
We suggest that before implementing the SSLIII, an early retirement scheme/plan be offered first to those interested employees. We’re pretty sure a lot of employees will grab this opportunity.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
We push for the early retirement program prior to the implementation of the SSLIII.
Pls. post the salary schedule of SSL III. Thanks……..
June 4th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
We strongly suggest for the reduction of optional retirement age from 60 to 55 among civilian government employees. We support the implementation of the early retirement program which was offered during the former Pres. Aquino. Tnx….
June 8th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Can I have the matrix of pay structures because of the passage of the Salary Standardization Law 3? Thanks
June 10th, 2009 at 10:24 am
I support the lowering of optional retirement age from 60 to 55 among government employees which include local government workers. Please support the immediate passage of House Bill no.3032 passed by Congressman Bernard F. Pinol, of the 2nd District, North Cotabato. Retirement attrition shall ensure a more vital and vibrant bureaucracy.
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
IT’S ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR TO THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHOSE SALARY GRADE ARE LOW
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:07 pm
our president always gives the best to those who already rich
June 24th, 2009 at 11:53 am
i suggest to the govt. of the philippine republic in the far east asia instead of ssl scheme rank and file employees prefer accross the board increase wherein circulars must be issued at an earlier date for immediate availment…thanks…
June 24th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
MANY GOCC’S AND OTHER GOV’T AGENCIES WERE NOT ACTUALLY INCOME OR REVENUE GENERATING AGENCIES. WHY NOT ISSUE A CIRCULAR GIVING MORE INCENTIVE TO THOSE AGENCIES WHICH ARE BASICALLY A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GOV’T RELATED REVENUE FUNDS PARTICULARLY THE LGU’S
June 24th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
i think the early retirement scheme or rationalization be implemented.. there are many unproductive employees who just waits for their salary are still serving.. and an across the board increase is also necessary
June 25th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
why is it that there is no uniformity in the schedule of the implementation of the SSL III? the National govt employees will be getting their increase beginning July 1, 2009 while we in the lgu’s will start on jan 2010? what is the reason behind this disparity? are we not govt employees too? its totally unfair.. lgu employees will surely not forget this on May 2010 elections..
June 29th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
eversince that the basis for salary increase for government employees were based on persentage against it’s present salary grade or basic salary, the lower paying employee such as those utility workers or those with low salary grades were already at a lost. Example: At 10% salary increse/annum, those whose basic income are within P5000.00 x 10% will only received P500.00 increase per month but those receiving P20,000 x 10%, a P2,000.00/month increase will be added to their basic salary. The government is simply making the gap between lowly paid government employee and official bigger. I think this disparity could be corrected simply by giving a fix increase to all employees and not by percentage. Hope our legislators would read and hear our cries…
June 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am
This SSL3 only gives more to the rich than lower paid gov’t workers, this is very unfair and it LOOKS okay because the government shows it by PERCENTAGE not the actual increase in commercials which shows that low-paid workers get only about P500 more or less increase..
Mas mabuti pa ung calls ng COURAGE na 3000 across the board which i think will narrow down the gap between gov’t workers..
The work of the working president is working for you [elites]..
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
nganu man nang increase SA jULY WA MAN LABOT LGU, unya paman jan 2010? Pagshure mo unsa man ning LGU dili taga gobyerno? Dili mokaon? Wala manginahanglan?…