Teaching Service Fixation Agreement (2014-2016) Guaranteed 43% Increase on Teachers’ Salaries by 2016

Teachers Pay Scale and Pay Grade

New teachers and those who do not know how you are paid, you are paid up Scales of 1 - 12 (TS1 – TS12) and across Grades 1 - 7. In other words, you move up the Pay Scale and along the Pay Grade. It can happen simultaneously or one at a time.

Salary Fixation Agreement 2014 – 2016

A review on teachers’ salaries conducted in 2013 agreed a 33% rise on base pay over three years, 2014 - 2016. The increment came at the back of increase in number of students and teachers increased work load; as well as the increasing prices of goods and services. The increment was, in fact, an agreement set in stone and effective as of the first pay of 2014. 

By now all teachers, from preprimary to primary and secondary schools, should be paid the agreed salaries at 2016 rates.

An additional Service Allowance of 10% was also accorded to teachers and matured in 2016. This additional increase means that between (and inclusive of) 2014 and 2016 teachers’ total salaries (TOTAL SALARY = BASE SALARY + SERVICE ALLOWANCE) had increased by 43%. 

Teachers, perhaps it is important to know your pay scale and pay grade. Knowing the two will help you to determine whether you are receiving the right salary or not. The diagram shows the increase – take particular note of 2016 salaries.

#PNG teachers' salary scale: by now all teachers nationwide should be receiving the correct pay package according to the agreement. pic.twitter.com/nVVCBP9NdY

— PNG Insight (@PNG_Insight) May 27, 2017

What is in store for teachers in 2017 onward?

Papua New Guinea Politicians | We Don't Receive Enough To Support Our Lavish Lifestyles in Port Moresby or Australia - More

The politicians are getting massive pay increases since Sir Michael Somare was prime minister. Within seven years, parliamentarians would be receiving a whooping 82% increase in salaries alone.

  

Take a look at this. Sir Michael Somare’s government unanimously approved a 52% pay

rise in November 2010. A massive increase just before Christmas.

Puka Temu, the then Public Service Minister in Peter O’Neill's government, announced another increase of 7% in November 2013. Actually, that was backdated to 1^st January 2013 and paid to each Member of Parliament before they went for their Christmas holiday.

During that announcement, the minister also declared a separate increase of 7.5% and 2.5% to be paid from 2014 to 2016 to every public sector worker, including the MPs.

For clarification, the 2013 increases were in three parts: a 7% one-off payment and a 3 year increase of 7.5% of the actual gross salary plus 2.5% of average salary. The average salary is all salary combined divide by number of earners.

Every servant-of-the-public will earn a 7.5%/2.5% increase, in installments, over a of course 3-year period, 2014 - 2016. By 2016, the public servants will have realised a 30% spike in their annual pay if the government remains true to its promise. That is 10% increment every year. 

Clearly, by the end of 2016 Papua New Guinea's politicians annual pays would have nearly doubled what they earned in 2010:

• Prime Minister earns over K364 000;
• Speaker of Parliament earns over K296 000;
• DPM earns over K271 000;
• Opposition Leader earns over K271,000 (same as DPM);
• Government Ministers earn over K211 000;
• Other MPs earn over K106 000; and
• Provincial Governors earn over K74 000.

The amounts earned by politicians are exorbitant. Where is the moral of such increments? Such amount is more than enough to go with IF they had lived with their people. Sadly, they want more to sustain a lifestyle elsewhere other than their localities.

Papua New Guinea Teachers' Association Must Stand Up For Teachers Without Media Bashing

Pic courtesy: EMTV News report

There is no need to go on strike yet. Teachers from Elementary to Secondary schools in each province has reps. They form the PNGTA. There needs to be a collaborative effort from them to fight for teachers remuneration and benefit. 

Unlike before, Facebook (and access to it) has changed the way Papua New Guineans communicate. PNGTA Chairman and reps from 22 provinces should, first, create an avenue for discussion. FB would be a good place to start. 

Second, they must stay in touch with teachers - communicate: find out if they have received their pay increase, Boarding and Duty allowances...etc. They have to have facts and figures at their finger tips. 

Third, those information must be presented to National Department of Education, Teachers' Service Commission and Education Minister on regular basis - this is their job. They MUST do that as well as 'media-bashing'. 

Fourth, PNGTA must pursue legal challenges to ascertain irregularities in teachers entitlements if they have to. They must ensure that the govt remains true to its PROMISES of pay increase. As I posted sometime ago, by 2016 every public servant will have realised a 30% increase in their salaries - this includes the teachers. 

That implied that PNG government has made a promise to pay the increase. So, PNGTA has to ensure that the government does what it says. If teachers are not receiving the increase or other entitlements over a year, they have to determine why. 

Finally, the onus is on PNGTA and teachers' reps in each province. IF the association feels that there is a need to call for a strike action,  by all means, they must do. But, going on strike (or pretending to go on strike by going to media like the PNGTA chairman did) is not the best way forward.

Happy Christmas Teachers | Have You Got Your 10% Increment Government Promised You in 2013?

Many Papua New Guineans are looking forward to a good holiday. Some will travel home from towns and cities. Others will travel to see the bright lights of Lae and Port Moresby. Many will have stayed where they are. 

Cost of transportation and accommodation are very high. They may not be able to get through the holiday if they had not stayed back. One group of public servants are finding it really tough – the teachers. Their sentiments are shared on PNG Teachers on Facebook, a group of over 2500 teachers in the country. 

Unlike other public servants; teachers are poorly paid, overworked and often neglected at this time of the year. One of the main concerns they raised online was delay in Leave Fares. Though it is mandatory that eligible teachers are given their leave fares, the delay has been chronic and remains a yearly occurrence. 

Another yearly problem that affects our teachers is timely release of Boarding and Duty Allowances. Any teacher who does boarding duties throughout the year is entitled to this allowance. Why have many cry foul over non-payment? 

When Dr Puka Temu announced a Christmas Gift for the hard working members of parliament in November 2013, he also declared 7.5% increase for general public servants pay with a 2.5% concurrent increase to 2016. The MPs got their 7 % increase backdated to January 1st of 2013 are enjoying the other increases this year, too . But, the question of whether other public servants got their promised increment remains to be answered.

Teachers are not able to determine their pay grade. This is simply because many of them, especially the new graduates and teachers in remote locations, have not got their pay slips. Some may not even know what a pay slip looks like as they have never got one. 

So, how much are the teachers paid? The salaries are calculated by adjusting to a midpoint salary. In other words, an average is calculated from Pay Grades 1 to 12. The averages for 2014, 2015 and 2016 are K21 000, K23 100 and K25 410 respectively. This gives an impression of a total increase of 30% (7.5% x 3 yrs + 2.5% x 3 yrs) That means that the government would have been paying the teachers a 10% compounded increment between 2014 and 2016. That is a good news for teachers. 

Click here for teachers' pay structure. The challenge now is to ensure the government remains true to its promise to underpaid teachers. Teachers’ representatives from PNG Teachers Association have to highlight problem areas. There is never a better time to do it, than now. 

Put a stop to delays teachers face with getting their leave fares, ensure they get their boarding and duty allowances on time and get their pay slips to them where ever they are. Above all, the pay increments have to be evident in teachers’ pay. Have they got the increases for 2013 and 2014?