March 9, 2023
At the 2023/24 Budget Debate on March 7, the Minister of Finance and Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke disclosed that the current Government will regularise “evergreen consistently renewed” contract workers in Government, bringing them into structured, permanent employment.
This initiative will be costly, as there are nearly 20,000 individuals currently engaged on contract or temporarily outside of establishment across the public service. The Finance Ministry, through its Strategic Human Resource Management Division, will address this situation in stages, focusing on one or a few areas at a time until it is accomplished.
Dr. Clarke noted that in the health sector there are 1,754 doctors, yet the establishment today stands at only 509. The Ministry of Education and Youth has 8,000 workers on contract, the Ministry of Local Government has several thousand more contracted workers in municipalities and State agencies, and there are several public bodies where every employee is temporarily contracted.
An audit of the employment practices in the Education Ministry revealed that 716 cooks and 52 assistant cooks are employed on contract, without post codes. To resolve this issue, the Government will create post codes required to elevate 716 cooks, 367 regular watchmen, 659 caregivers in infant schools, and 2,000 sanitation workers at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).
The Government will aim to complete implementation of the reform of contract work in the public sector within a three-year period, concluding by the end of fiscal year 2025/26.
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