New body to review civil servants’ benefits

2012-01-27
From: Macau Daily Times

The government has created a new committee to regularly review civil servants wages but the head of the major association of public workers is hopeful the body will also discuss other benefits such as the housing allowance.
Joseacute Pereira Coutinho is also confident that the salaries of civil servants will be raised between five to seven percent this year, effective from January 1. We had a preliminary meeting last week and the government was open to our proposals, he told Macau Daily Times.
The lawmaker said the creation of the Committee of Deliberation on the Remuneration of Public Administration Workers is a positive step but must not be used to in any way delay the wage update.
The head of the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) recalled that gaming operators have already begun raising salaries. Last month Sociedade de Jogos de Macau announced a salary increase of five to 10 percent, as well as a Chinese New Year bonus, and MGM Macau did the same two weeks ago.
The first meeting of the new body is likely to happen this month and, according to a Chief Executive dispatch published in yesterdays Official Gazette, it can create specialised workgroups with civil servants and experts to study specific issues and draw up proposals or reports.
Coutinho wants the committee to discuss an update to the birth and death allowance, which have remained unchanged for over 20 years, he stressed. The activist, who was appointed to the newly formed body, pledged to bring up the housing subsidy as well.

Judges issue

We believe the subsidy should be granted to all retired civil servants, regardless of where they live, the head of ATFPM stressed. Retired public workers who decided to return to Portugal before the handover are not receiving this subsidy.
The committee will be in charge of studying and setting the fundamental principles, criteria and procedures for adjusting remuneration and will be able to propose changes to its structure and mechanism.
The body should create permanent consultation mechanisms, namely through regular meetings between the associations of public workers and the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP).
But it will ultimately set the level for remuneration adjustment.
The SAFP director Joseacute Chu will head this new body, which will also include the head of the Statistics and Census Bureau, Vanessa Kong Pek Fong, and the director of the Financial Services Bureau, Vitoacuteria Alice Maria da Conceiccedilatildeo.
The discussions will involve representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Trade Unions and the three associations of civil servants as well.
The secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, has said the committee could also study whether or not to detach magistrates salaries from that of the Chief Executive.
Salaries of judges and public prosecutors have remained unchanged since the handover. Last October the president of local courts Sam Ho Fai said newly appointed magistrates are being underpaid when compared to the Administrations legal advisors.
But a month later, during his 2012 Policy Address, Chui Sai On declined to comment on a possible increase, stressing that magistrates wages were attached to his own salary.

Copyright Macau Daily Times