The Maldives Civil Servants Association (MCSA) has said that a large numbers of its members have requested to take strike action over reduced public sector salaries.
The government had pledged to reduce the salaries of civil servants along with the amount it pays independent commissions as part of attempts to slash costs during an era economic uncertainty.
By last year, civil servants demanded to have their salaries restored by 2011 and also demanded to add the restored salaries to this year’s budget.
President Mohamed Nasheed had said that the civil cuts were possibly to have been revoked by the end of last year.
However, it is the salaries of independent commissions that have been restored, alongside proposed hikes in the wages and privileges afforded to MPs, leading to protests across Male’ during the last few days from various groups.
”The majority of the civil servants want to be on strike, they are unhappy about the reduced salaries,” said Abdulla Mohamed, Spokesperson of the MCSA. ”They wish to stop work for five days.”
Mohamed said that the association had informed the Civil Service Commission (CSC) about the strike last Thursday, but added that it had yet to responded to the association on the matter.
”We do not have much hope that the salaries will be restored,” Mohamed said. ”Nobody seems to realise the importance of civil servants, so when they stop their work, people will understand the services they deliver.”
The MCSA has said that it hopes the strike action will bring the issue of civil service cuts to the attention of the government and the wider international community.
”We know the strike will not restore salaries for the sector and we also understand it is no solution,” the MCSA spokesperson added. “But we just want to bring it to the attention of the international community and the government.”
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I think the issue here is not about the salary increase of civil servants. This is not possible for us due to the dire state of our economy and as per the advice of the IMF.
The issue I am concerned about is the salary increment to the MPs and members of Independent Commissions. We have a right to voice and protest against this.
Therefore, the civil servants' will to not work for one week is perhaps not relevant for us at this time and might further negatively effect our economy.
The main issue I am concerned is the large size of Anni's KUDA sarukaaru. There are hundreds of political posts with basic salaries above 30K. Why should the civil servants have to suffer because of an advice from IMF - If Anni is serious about their advise then he should stop rewarding his activists by giving high paid political posts.
Well done MCSA, have you not noticed that the international community have already noticed that we are living fiscally way beyond our means. The IMF have stated several times that the only way to keep generous donor countries happily giving more aid i in fact to reduce our levels ovf government numbers as well as our overburdoningly large civil service.
Very many people who have had the misfortune to deal with the civil service since it's inception will know that it already seems lie they are on strike! Many departments run at an almost standstill pace. You will not have the backing of much of the general public if you strike and waste even more public money. Stop following the lead of the majlis and please get on with your work. You have enjoyed massive raises recently and yet your own productivity and professionalism seems to be almost totally lacking.
What would happen if we dissolved the Majlis and the civil service? In truth, not much really except we would save a lot of money, just be careful people and think!!!
This is a brilliant idea. When the utterly useless civil servants don't turn up for work to update their Facebook status, it will be a day for national rejoice. They can stay at home and collect their reduced wages. It will be a reason to further cut their wages and help the budget deficit. The money can be spent on better things.
Low productivity and lack of professionalism is a national issue and should not be blamed solely on an evil "other" that we have recently begun to define and label by the name of "Civil Servants".
The concept of civil service as practiced in a modern democracy did not exist until very recent times. What we had was called "government employment" which was often recommended to school-leavers as the most stable and rewarding prospect available for job-seekers.
To put things into perspective, these "government employees" were alternatively hired on academic grounds, through family links and sometimes on impulse. Following their employment they are often poorly managed and never assigned proper work. Training programs are always haphazard and not designed to meet the requirements of the relevant institutions.
A wise man once told me one more thing that might be very important to this issue. That "you can work under someone who is less academically qualified than you and more experienced or vice versa but not if the manager in question lacks both qualities". This holds true for a host of directors, executive directors and sometimes, sadly, even cabinet ministers.
Personnel trained in this environment with low prospects for promotion, especially on a merit-based system and hardly a monitoring and evaluations framework in place are unsurprisingly ineffective and unproductive. Without apportioning blame to the victims and demonizing them in the media, shall we try and reform the system?
look on actual picture then you could say goverment is on enterprizing and looking for the better fulture for all needs please corperate thix
Why should the MPS get a pay Raise and not the civil servants. Bravo to the civil service society. its not the MP's or the Political Horses who are in Power, its the Civil Service and the People.
taught by this terrible government just a few days back.
MDP is really failing anni is feeding the snakes and taming them so that they wouldn't bite him, the problem is he is feeding us to it
Why is it always the system? Can't individuals be responsible for what they do? I say fire the lot that will be a good beginning for reform.
Civil servants should now work 2 days a week (days of their choice)
what is wrong with everybody. I would understand a strike to reduce parliament members pay, but this. this is again a demand to increase the salaries.
Some Maldivians are just not well informed i guess. MMA can create as much money as they wish and give civil service and parliament in Millions but that does not change the fact that money will not have any value. inflation will go sky high and bottle of water would cost hundreds. back to square one, they'd probably demand more salary..
Guys, salary is not what makes life prosperous! its not about the quantity, but rather quality. jeez
aThe moment Gayoom lands in the islands we have stared seeing violence and public disorder, we must banish the b#$%^*d back to Malaysia. This crook will never learn until we bring justice to him. Anni is such feeble creep, he cannot maintain law and order in the country. He must abolish the Majlis, bring fresh elections and send all these crooks to where they belong. JAIL