We are told that government is not broke, yet they and other bodies seem to have difficulty in paying increments.
In most companies, the day they cannot pay their staff is the day they go bankrupt. But we must presume that government could pay, but just aren’t for some reason. What could that reason be? Perhaps it is the understanding of the word “increment” by both those eligible for one and those responsible for granting them.
Most large organisations have a pay structure with several levels, each with an incremental pay scale, in about four or five bands, usually by year. Staff start on the lowest band, and each year, subject to a satisfactory assessment report by their manager, they proceed to the next band, until they reach the maximum for that scale.
Sometimes increments can be given faster or can be delayed depending on performance. Once reaching the top of the scale, that will be the salary, with no further increases unless, or until, there is a general pay increase, or they are promoted to another job on a different scale.
Appraisal system?
Does government operate a proper appraisal system? Do senior staff know about it and how to operate it? Do some staff receive increments and some not? Perhaps this is why some aggrieved staff have a poor work ethic and a terrible reputation with the public.
If this is working as it should, then we are left with obduracy, petty-mindedness, or downright incompetence by the people tasked with paying staff according to their worth. It may be that some staff do not merit increments and the hierarchy are loathe to tell them.
With some increments not having been paid for years, government needs to give a clear explanation for the delay.