Government workers from different agencies and departments interviewed by this reporter said they were “frustrated” with the way the government is dealing with the pay hike issue.
A government employee said since the pay hike law, P.L. 7-31 was enacted, he has not received even a cent for the salary increase it supposedly mandates.
He said in 1998, the first year of the CNMI’s economic slump, his salary was frozen and his salary grade was “stuck” at step 8.
Another employee said all the past administrations have failed to address this concern.
“There were many governors that ran this government but still they were not able to pay our increase,” he said.
They noted that the Fitial administration has been adopting austerity measures and yet “they continue to hire new employees.”
“They could have used the money to pay us,” another employee, who refused to be identified, said.
Most of them are still “hopeful” that the government can allocate funds for the merit increase.
But they are not sure whether the Fitial administration can find the needed funds.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. has admitted that the government has no funds for the merit increase.
He said the administration “understands” the feelings of the affected employees.
In an e-mail to Variety, an employee said: “I have been crying and seeking help to get a salary increase for 12 years. I hope someone in our leadership will fight for us. Please hear our concern and cry. We are all suffering. We do all the work and no one seems to see or hear us.”
Taotao Tano president Gregorio S. Cruz Jr. said the government should borrow funds from the Marianas Public Land Trust
“A bill should be drafted and enacted to withdraw funding and compensate the over 4,000 employees who are unjustly owed their merit and annual increases held back and covered up by our government. This will help boost the economy for the monies will be well spent by our people here in our homeland and not remitted off-island to some foreign country,” Cruz said.
