GUINGONA CALLS FOR PAY HIKE FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

SENATOR Teofisto "TG" Guingona III has joined Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in batting for hefty increases in the salary of government employees, as prescribed in the new salary standardization law being proposed by the senators.

Senate Bill 2671, also known as the Salary Standardization Law IV, proposes to adjust pay scales starting with a minimum P16,000.00 for salary grade one, a sizeable jump from the current P9,000.00 minimum wage for government employees. An estimated 1.4-million government employees in all salary grade levels will benefit from the proposed salary standardization.

"It is high time that we provide just and equitable compensation to all government personnel in order to help them cope with the rising cost of living," Guingona said.

Qualified to enjoy the bonanza are government personnel whether or not the status of their employment is regular, casual, or contractual. Appointive or elective public servants performing part-time or full-time work are also covered.

Military and uniformed personnel working for peace and order and public safety are likewise covered.

Through their Sanggunians, the proposed law allows Local Government Units (LGUs) to grant hikes in employee compensation according to their income class.

The proposed law also establishes a performance-based omnibus system compensation for government employees subject to review every three years.