Manning: Jobs are safe

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
POLICE Commissioner David Manning has assured public servants in the police force that their jobs are secure even though the department of police has been abolished.
“Not one single public servant employed in the police force will be put off the payroll,” he said.
“They will continue to be paid their current salaries until such a time we transition them to a uniform salary structure and pay them accordingly.
“It is expected that all public servants will transition to a single police force structure encompassing sworn and former public servants.
“They will bring with them all their accrued years of service and their entitlements intact.”
Manning was responding to a “stop work” threat by the Police Association after the department of police was abolished in Cabinet decision gazetted last Tuesday.
Association president Lowa Tambua said the decision by the National Executive Council to abolish the department was a concern to all civil servants working there.
But Manning said the change would not affect the “salaries or employment conditions of uniformed members in any legal or administrative way”.
“The 300 to 350 public servants currently performing duties in various capacities in the police force will be required to transition into the (new) police force structure,” he said.
“(They) will be given the opportunity to make the choice – (whether) to continue their employment under these new arrangements.”
He said a transition plan was being worked out.
“This is a great opportunity not only to appropriately remunerate our public servants with a salary that is on par with their uniformed counterparts, but to professionalise our police force, because with improved salaries and better conditions of service, we can attract and retain a quality workforce,” he said.
He added that it would make the police force “an employer of choice”.
Manning confirmed that there were 6,000 uniformed members of the force – not 8,000 as claimed by Tambua. Officers from the departments of personnel management, justice and attorney-general and the constabulary are expected to meet today to develop a strategic framework “to ensure this policy decision by the NEC is carried out”.
“We will (also) be meeting with the general secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the executives of the Police Association (today) to inform them of the transitional plan,” he said.
Manning welcomed the progress being made towards reforming the constabulary.