By EDDIE OSIFELO
SOLOMON Islands Council of Trade Union is supporting the 6.5 percent ‘Cost of Living Adjustment’ for public servants in the country.
Solomon Islands Public Employees Union (SIPEU) had submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Public Service last year to help public servants keep up with high rising costs of goods and housing.
SIPEU is currently waiting for Cabinet approval on the proposal.
SICTU President, David Tuhanuku said they are waiting for the outcome of Cabinet’s deliberation on the proposal.
He said SICTU will hold a meeting to decide their official stand, depending on the outcome of the Cabinet’s decision.
General Secretary, Robert Au, told Tavuli News in an interview that the 6.5 percent is with the Public Service and working on it.
“They trying to look at the budget side of it and will submit to Cabinet for endorsement and perhaps this first quarter, we should know what time it should be implemented for all the public servants.
“So, the 6.5 percent will go across the board,” Au said.
Furthermore, on the rental scheme for public servants, Au told Tavuli News that Cabinet did not get back last year, for reasons they want to totally look at how it could be implemented for all public servants in the country.
“Our wish is that we want to see rental housing assistances go to the public servants so that they can arrange their own housings.
“Maybe some of them can go and secure loan through the financials institutions that are available, or the Solomon Finances Limited, which is one of the subsidiaries of Solomon Islands National Provident Fund,” he said.
Au said SIPEU is continuing monitoring that and checking with the government and with the Public Service.
“I understand they are still yet to submit the review they carried out last year.
“I am still to get back to PS after the New Year. Iam hoping when the PS settles down, we can have a meeting to look at the progress and updates on that one,” he added.
Apart from that, about 100 nurses are planning to depart to Australia to work in age care, due to low salary level they received and could not afford to meet the increased cost of living in the country.
