Cuepacs wants 4 reps on panel

By ADIE SURI ZULKEFLI
adie@nst.com.my | 0 comments


CUEPACS is insisting that the number of its officials in future meetings involving the special task force on New Remuneration Scheme for the civil service (SBPA) to be increased from one to at least four.
GEORGE TOWN: Its president Datuk Omar Osman said it was paramount for Cuepacs to have more representatives in the task force meetings so that the umbrella body representing civil service unions could have a balanced voice in the committee.

He said during the task force's first meeting on Jan 25, only he was allowed to be present at the meeting.

"The interest of 1.3 million civil servants nationwide is at stake and I must not be seen as making decisions without consulting other key Cuepacs officials during task force meetings," he said after briefing officers and personnel from the state Fire and Rescue Department on the SBPA issue.

Omar, who is also the sole Cuepacs representative officially appointed to sit on the task force said if this did not work out, he would opt to leave the committee and continue the pressure to review the SBPA on a Cuepacs platform only.

The three Cuepacs officials who wish to be represented at the task force meetings are its deputy president 1 Aziz Muda, secretary-general Lok Yim Peng and financial secretary Jaafar Mansor.

"The ideal number is nine representatives from Cuepacs, but the minimum number we are pushing for is four."

Omar said the demand was one of the five main points that Cuepacs was lobbying for in the SBPA review.

The other four are namely to review salary adjustment of officers in Grade 54 and below; preserving officers' seniority as stated in the Skim Saraan Malaysia (SSM) before switching to SBPA; to review the salary scheme for government servants who have reached the ceiling salary scale; to review the salary increment of between seven and 13 per cent; and to review the restructuring exercise at all grade levels.

Omar said among the key issues disputed by government servants are the quantum of salary increments in SBPA which was seen as not being transparent and the need for an imbalance adjustment between senior officers above Grade 54 and those on Grade 54 and below.

"To address these issues, Cuepacs is holding a nationwide road show to meet government servants. Those who are unhappy with the SBPA have until Feb 15 to voice their grievances."