Misunderstanding over CS bonus issue

By CEDRIC LAGA
FRUSTRATED Correctional Service officers in Western Highlands province have branded their Commissioner Richard Sikani and minister Tony Aimo as liars.
Five officers from the Baisu institute, claiming to represent 110 officers at Baisu, said Mr Aimo and Mr Sikani promised late last month that the officers would receive bonuses on their first pay day of the year, but this had not happened.
The officers said they did not see any bonuses in their account yesterday.
But acting commissioner Giru Moihau said there seemed to be some misunderstanding of the whole issue, and use of the word “bonus”.
He said at the time the minister and Mr Sikani talked about the pay increase, the word ‘bonus’ was used in the sense that it was a good thing for CS officers, and not a promise of a “bonus” on top of their salary.
Mr Moihau said a new staff structure and a salary increase had been approved by the Salaries Condition and Monitoring Committee (SCMC) and the Department of Personnel Management, and the CS now have to make a submission for funding for the salary increase to the National Executive Council where about K5 million was needed.
Mr Moihau said because the structure was only approved last December, the pay increase was not included in the 2008 Budget.
The disgruntled officers said they had not applied for school fee loans on the thought that they would receive the “promised” money to be able to pay school fees.
They demanded that Mr Sikani and Mr Aimo give a definite date for the said money to be released.
Mr Moihau also said the 3% increase approved by the Government was for the other regular public servants and not the disciplinary forces including Correctional Service officers.
He said that it was unrealistic to have the salary increase paid on Jan 1.