WATSON DUKE

[Dizzy28]

For those who feel civil servants should get automatic increases. They should be thankful they have a job.

BRITAIN:
Britain's new coalition government has condemned "wasteful" spending and has announced 6.25 billion pounds (9.08 billion dollars, 7.16 billion euros) of cuts -- incurring anger from trade unions but praise from investors.

The measures include a freeze on civil service recruitment and reductions in numerous programmes inherited from the previous Labour government such as information technology projects and consultancy contracts.

DENMARK:

The government in Denmark, which has one of the most generous social welfare systems in the world, has said it wants to slash unemployment and family benefits and ministers' salaries. The plan still needs parliamentary approval.

FRANCE:

The French government has announced a three-year freeze on public spending starting in 2011 and wants to raise the official retirement age from 60 after it was lowered from 65 under former president Francois Mitterrand.

GREECE:

The Greek government announced cuts of 4.8 billion euros in March and followed that up with 30 billion euros in cuts in May in a bid to reassure financial markets and bring down its sky-high public deficit.

The new measures include an increase in the sales tax and cuts in civil service salaries. The government is also planning an overhaul of the pensions system to reduce costs and is stepping up the fight against tax evasion.

IRELAND:

Ireland adopted two austerity plans in 2009 totalling seven billion euros in a bid to bring down its public deficit to 11.5 percent in 2010 from a shocking 14.3 percent in 2009 -- the highest level in the eurozone.

The measures include a reduction in social welfare payments and cuts of between five and 15 percent in civil servant salaries.

ITALY:

The Italian government has approved austerity measures worth 24 billion euros for 2011-2012. They include a three-year freeze on pay for civil servants, wage cuts for ministers and new taxes for stock options and bonuses.

PORTUGAL:

Portugal has announced an austerity package including a rise in sales tax by one percentage point to 21 percent and a cut in salaries for public officials as well as an income tax surcharge for high earners.

The measures come on top of an austerity plan announced earlier this year that includes a delay in public investments and the sale of state assets, as well as reductions in salaries for civil servants.

SPAIN:

The Spanish parliament on May 28 approved by just one vote a 15-billion-euro austerity plan, which includes a pay cut for civil servants. The cuts are on top of a 50-billion-euro austerity package announced in January.

The measures include a pay freeze from 2011 for civil servants. Pensions, except for the poorest, will also be frozen in 2011.

[eliteauto]

Dizzy28 maybe local civil servants should get the same salaries as those countries you posted too as well?

[Dizzy28]

Everyone assumes that because we have a currency much lower than the EU or US that the salaries paid here are bad but if you take into account purchasing power parity our salaries not that bad. In the UK for example the average salary is £25,000/year whilst the average salary in T&T is TT$64,000. Believe me you can do much more with the TT$64k in Trinidad than the £25k in the UK.

It would never be fair to multiply the average salary and convert according to the exchange rate.

[Bareback]

Give them wat is fair...a 10% at least...it have real hard workers in the system, if it didn't things wouldn't get done. Alyuh does 4get is the gov't dat runs the public service, so these are jus ppl asking their boss 4 a raise bcos tings gettin expensive....like a man say in another thread ppl making too much to get an HDC house an too little to qualify thru d bank....dat can't b right.

It is the responsibilty of the gov't to improve service, regardless of favoritism(which exists everywhere) or watever else. There are performance management systems, results based monitoring and a slew of others that managers utilise within and outside the public sector...all they need to do is trickle it down to lower staff and pay the ppl to suit. If everyone got paid based on there output 3/4 of this country would be stricken by serious poverty.

The law already says re-negotiate every 3yrs....jus do it a fair nah!

10% pushing it. But you touched on something there. Give them the 5% and tie the other 5% to a performance reward. Everyone is debating the level and quality of service and how this can justify a raise. So let's make them improve and work better to get the additional increase.

Okay, I will return to limin' with Renato Morton now

[rossi]

Everyone assumes that because we have a currency much lower than the EU or US that the salaries paid here are bad but if you take into account purchasing power parity our salaries not that bad. In the UK for example the average salary is £25,000/year whilst the average salary in T&T is TT$64,000. Believe me you can do much more with the TT$64k in Trinidad than the £25k in the UK.

It would never be fair to multiply the average salary and convert according to the exchange rate.

Well said.

[brainchild]

Give them wat is fair...a 10% at least...it have real hard workers in the system, if it didn't things wouldn't get done. Alyuh does 4get is the gov't dat runs the public service, so these are jus ppl asking their boss 4 a raise bcos tings gettin expensive....like a man say in another thread ppl making too much to get an HDC house an too little to qualify thru d bank....dat can't b right.

It is the responsibilty of the gov't to improve service, regardless of favoritism(which exists everywhere) or watever else. There are performance management systems, results based monitoring and a slew of others that managers utilise within and outside the public sector...all they need to do is trickle it down to lower staff and pay the ppl to suit. If everyone got paid based on there output 3/4 of this country would be stricken by serious poverty.

The law already says re-negotiate every 3yrs....jus do it a fair nah!

10% pushing it. But you touched on something there. Give them the 5% and tie the other 5% to a performance reward. Everyone is debating the level and quality of service and how this can justify a raise. So let's make them improve and work better to get the additional increase.

Okay, I will return to limin' with Renato Morton now

You can't tie anything to anything in the public service...a raise is across the board bcos some positions have no measurable output. If anything they should varies the percentages by positions to ensure the lower paid get 10% and adjust accordingly from there....don't know if dats legal tho.

On another note it doesn't matter wat ppl get paid in other countries and wat their gov't is doin bcos if we looked at it like dat we could say ppl have it harder in Haiti or Libya etc. so all who want raise public or private should hush they kant!

The way i see it is gov't and all public entities does real waste money....i witness personally the money wastage in this country by those in authority and you would not believe it. From those higher ups that only drink certain (expensive ass) drinks and have their ppl ensure these things available, to catering for short meetings with ppl who can more than afford to buy their own meals, useless dinners, company vehicles that get misused or parked to rot...the list goes on and on. If this money can be put to good use to help the ppl, do it! If not thru a raise then thru monthly grocery vouchers...something....geez!

[eliteauto]

IMO if the Gov't's claim that they cannot afford more than a 5% increase were true then some creative resolutions can be made, for instance offer Public Servants who would be first time home owners access the HDC houses at a cost plus 10 price with preferred allocation, offer them access to agricultural co-operatives, vehicle tax rebates etc, so while the income increase would not be significant, the actual cost of living could be lowered

[brams112]

so why do everybody call them public servants?that is what have them feeling down,call them public service agents,and let them hold that new name for the while, this new name should at least have them feeling good for a few years and duke is a suck stones

[zcarz]

Everyone assumes that because we have a currency much lower than the EU or US that the salaries paid here are bad but if you take into account purchasing power parity our salaries not that bad. In the UK for example the average salary is £25,000/year whilst the average salary in T&T is TT$64,000. Believe me you can do much more with the TT$64k in Trinidad than the £25k in the UK.

It would never be fair to multiply the average salary and convert according to the exchange rate.

true!

[brams112]

boi right now canadian higher than the mighty green backs oui

[John Wick]

now doctors could kill and escape

[Team Loco]

damn jackarse....he and MPATT.....doctors and nurses cud kill ppl anytime they want, and when u suspend them for investigation, they want to hold the country to ransom and deny their services.....fire all dem fackin cnut who want to practise service denial and bring some cubans

its amazing the double standards that apply to these ppl just becuz doctors supposed to be 'high society'

well said