Proposed salary for civil servants leaks

The committee tasked by the government to conduct an across-the-board review of salaries for civil servants has proposed a significant raise for different categories of government workers, Sunday Monitor can reveal.
The committee, whose composition is largely shrouded in secrecy, is expected to hand its report to the government by the end of this month.
In the course of its work, it has received advice from the Public Service Commission and different commissions responsible for government employees in different professions, including the Education Service Commission and the Health Service Commission. Its work is coordinated by the ministry of Public Service.
The country has been dogged by a number of strikes in recent times, with public hospitals literally closed since doctors went on strike 13 days ago, and courts of law paralysed by the prosecutors’ strike which has gone on for five weeks since October 10.
Despite the ongoing strikes, government has until now refused to budge, saying the concerned groups should wait for the salary review to be completed.
The argument is that piecemeal pay increments for selected categories of public servants has led to imbalances within the civil service structure, prompting different groups to threaten industrial action or actually carry it out demanding to be treated the same way those doing comparable work for the government are treated.

Big winners
The biggest beneficiaries in the proposed pay structure are the consultants, who will, if the structure is approved, jump from the current Shs2,628,075 to Shs12,000,000, a raise of 350 per cent.
Senior consultants will reap a 320 per cent raise from the current Shs3,447,065 to Shs14,600,000.
Directors on salary scale U1SE will enjoy a 290 per cent raise, from Shs2,893,252 to Shs11.4m.
The biggest beneficiaries in the proposed salary structure are senior level civil servants suggests that is a category that was for long neglected as those at the lower levels and top-most officials got raise.
For instance, the head of public service and secretary to Cabinet will stay put at his current Shs17.6m salary, just as permanent secretaries will also not have their pay increased from the current Shs15.4m.
The director general of Health Services, who in 1999 was ranked as the highest civil servant by government and therefore earned more than permanent secretaries, did not have his pay increased when the pay for permanent secretaries increased, leaving him to earn Shs4.6m per month until now.
The committee proposes that his pay is again raised to Shs15.5m to slightly exceed that for permanent secretaries.
The proposed salaries we accessed do not include those for policemen and soldiers, but our sources say they too are in for a raise.
The committee also proposes to raise the salary for those ranked U8, the lowest ranking government workers who include drivers and messengers.
Their pay will jump by 65 per cent from the current Shs237,069 to Shs391,420.
The pay for the lowest paid primary school teacher, the one ranked U7 and other employees in this category will rise by 64 per cent from the current Shs377,781 to Shs621,320.

Judiciary
The draft report, a copy of which Sunday Monitor has seen, also includes proposals for pay raises for officials of the Judiciary and related institutions.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will earn a monthly pay of Shs21m, slightly higher than the Head of Public Service.
The DPP currently earns Shs9m. The deputy DPP will earn 15m, up from Shs4.8m
Senior principal state prosecutors will have their pay increased from Shs1.5m to Shs4.1m. The State prosecutors, who fall under U5 salary scale, will earn Shs2.8m as opposed to the current Shs860,000.
The chief Registrar’s pay in the proposed salary structure earns Shs16.9m as opposed from Shs4.8m. Magistrate grade II will have earn 1.3m as opposed to the current Shs737, 837.

Who is in which scale?

. U8 – lowest rank civil servants like drivers and messengers. They are O-level certificate holders with requisite qualifications like driving permit, etc.
. U7 – These are certificate holders, like Grade III primary school teachers
. U6 – Diploma holders, like teachers in primary and secondary schools
. U5 – These are headteachers, some diploma holder teachers, etc
. U4 – Entry-level for graduates
. U3 – Senior officers like senior personal officers at districts
. U2 – principal officers, especially at district level
. U1E – Heads of departments at district level, like district medical officers, district education officers.