Discussions on payroll system
Discussions are underway between government departments to have church health workers on the government Alesco payroll system, a senior department official says.
Acting Health secretary Dr Paison Dakulala told The National that they were working with the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) to have the health workers included in the government’s structure.
“We’ve been working over the years to get all our church health services workers under the Alesco payroll,” he said.
“That payroll would mean that every employee, whether in the church health services or in the government, will be under the system.
“They are our partners and it was difficult because traditionally we have been giving them grants and that’s how they were able to pay for their employees.
“But, currently, that’s not working because sometimes grants come and sometimes they don’t come.
“When you are on payroll that’s permanent so that’s the process that we’ve done for the Alesco payroll.”
Dr Dakulala said the progress with the church health services had been ongoing and needed to be completed to get them into DPM discussion and, eventually, onto the payroll. He said all relevant departments had agreed to discuss putting the church health workers on the Alesco payroll.
“It might take a few weeks and months but, eventually, we will do that,” he said.
“And when that happens in terms of salaries, everyone is cleared.
“They will be part of the one-position one-pay system.”
like everyone else on the government.”
payroll system.”
2 comments
Thank you Acting Health Secretary, Dr. Paison Dakulala. We in the Church Health Services have opted for three stages of which two have been completed and they are the Training Institutions and a handful of the CHS Secretariat National staff based in Pom. The Health Services staff that forms the biggest staff component within CHS was to be the 3rd stage. I believe all pros and cons, ifs and buts by now have been identified whilst implementing the first two stages and way forward sought. We anticipate to see it rolling out this year rather than 2021 or beyond.
A grey area that needed further consultation is the Church run rural hospitals and how they will tie in with the respective PHA arrangements. Is there are need to decentralize the CHS payroll system to PHA’s or be monitored by the National CHS Secretariat are yet to be finalized. However it is arranged I highly recommend that it be perused to make it happen for sustainability and convenience of our hard working health personnel within CHS and do respect the autonomy of the churches rights to all discipline issues
To my fellow CHS agencies and Church leaders, our health workers are equally trained and competent like every other health workers in other sectors. Lets give them a fair go, they deserve it.
There is a French saying: ‘He who excuses accuses!’ The Dept. Spokesman has told us of the problem and that it has been ongoing for years. Sir it has been happening 30 years or more. So solve it asap! How would he like not being paid for 3 or more months.
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