And we also asked Fraser - as the head of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers - for her thoughts on the frozen increments for public officers. It was a part of the deal they made with the government during the height of the pandemic - a 10% salary cut and to have their eligibility to receive yearly increments suspended. Since then, the 10% has been reinstated, but they are still without that possibility of the increment, which became a hot topic last month when the CEO's allowances were reinstated.
And today Frazer said that while the increments aren't automatic for every public officer, she does understand their stance that if the allowances are reinstated, their increments should be too.
Sharon Frazer, Chief Magistrate
"In terms of the joint unions, yes there has been disgruntlement about the fact that we have not been able to go back on the table to talk about the reinstatement of the increments. I can say that as late as yesterday myself and the president of PSU had a meeting with the minister of the public service who had indicated that yes, they have no difficulty in meeting. The issue is trying to get all of these ministers who have different portfolios to meet at a particular time. When it is that a meeting was set somebody was not available at that particular point. I don't know what their realities are. I know that in fact sometimes it's even difficult for us to get together. But the truth of the matter is that given the fact that we've been told that our economy is lifting up, it working that now public officers and teachers are asking for their reinstatement of their increment."
Reporter
"Are you of the view that it's been too long that they have been without the possibility of getting that increment?"
Sharon Frazer, Chief Magistrate
"Well that relative of being too long, because anybody who their eligibility has been taken away from them is going to say even if it's a month, it's too long. There was a reason why increments were frozen and so that at the end of the day, anybody would want what is due to them be reinstated. As I said its relative. Whether it too long or what whatever, because there was a reason, but I understand persons are saying everybody is getting back everything that they lost, so why should they not get back their eligibility for their increment."
And last month, the CabSec had also pointed out that it wasn't just CEO's who got their allowances reinstated, but also HOD's, including Frazer. But she explained that HOD's made double the sacrifice, so they deserved their full allowances back.
Sharon Frazer, Chief Magistrate
"HOD's made sacrifice as far as their allowances before increments were even taken away. That was the first sacrifice that was made. HOD's gave up the percentage of their allowance. Nobody is talking about that, but I have to speak on behalf of the HOD's. That was the first sacrifice that was made. So, restoration and I will tell you that HOD's also loss their increment. So it was a double loss for HOD's, losing a portion of their allowance and also losing their eligibility to receive their increment. So it is a loss twice, so as to restoration, I believe that in fact yes. They made the sacrifice even before and I can speak to that, because I was a part of that process. As far as the CEO is concerned, I can't speak to that, because I didn't enter into any contract with any CEO. It would seem and based on my understanding the CEO came in on the condition that they would have received this X amount of allowance. It would have been a reduced allowance compare to their predecessors, but that is a decision that was also taken pre this administration that these allowances would have been cut. But I can't speak to the issue of the CEO's."
