Pay harmonisation to benefit administrative staff in councils: Finance Ministry

The Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday that the administrative staff of local councils will see an improvement in their salaries once the salaries of government employees are harmonised.

Local councils have passed motions calling for their administrative staff to receive the same benefits and allowances as civil servants.

The call for equal pay and benefits for local council employees has been supported by over 60 councils, who argue that their duties to uphold the mandates of the Decentralisation Act are no less important than those of other government institutions.

In response, a media official from the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday that increasing the salaries of local council employees was not included in this year's budget. However, the official noted that there will be an improvement in their salaries when the salaries of state employees are harmonised.

"It was decided that pay harmonisation will be implemented in multiple stages," the official said.

The motions passed by the local councils express concern that the salaries of council employees are lower than those of employees in other government institutions. This disparity causes educated and qualified employees to leave their council jobs in search of better opportunities, while also hindering the councils' ability to attract qualified candidates with the salary-packages they are currently able to offer. As a result, the councils have called for their employees to receive the same benefits and allowances as civil servants. The councils said that these allowances can go up to 35 percent.

"When civil servants in state ministries receive various allowances up to 35 percent of their salaries, the council sees it as discriminatory that civil servants in local councils do not receive such allowances even among employees that work at the same administrative level," the motion passed by all members of the Kulhudhufushi Council had stated.

The current administration increased the salaries of teachers and principals in May 2022, and employees in the health sector will see an increase in their salaries starting next month.