Today's house meeting also provided a nice triumphalist moment for the PUP. They passed a bill to amend their own Public Sector Emoluments and Allowances Reduction Act of 2021, to end the increment freeze effective March 31, 2023, instead of March 31, 2024. That refers to the start of the current fiscal year three weeks ago when public officers get their increment restored.
Minister of the Public Service Henry Charles Usher took a victory lap:
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
"When those increments were frozen by the previous administration, if you ask the president of the PSU, if you ask any union member, they will be very clear to tell you that previous administration said that those increments are foregone. Meaning, you wont get it back ever, ever. That's what they were told back in 2020, we are freezing the increments and you are not getting it back."
"Well, Madam Speaker when the ministerial union negotiating team consulted with the joint union team back in 2021 when these matters were raised about the salary adjustment, about the increment freezing, it was very clear then and it was very clear this year when we started that consultation communication dialogue that we are going to look at the 2 years where the increments were frozen and we have agreed to do that. We have agreed to continue to meet going forward to look at the 2 years. In fact, we even said we will try to look at the 3 years. Why? because are not like the previous administration. We don't forego increments that public officers deserved, that public officers are entitled to."
