Civil servants get 5% pay increase

In the third sitting of Parliament on Thursday, the Premier Juliana O’Connor- Connolly announced that the Government had approved a 5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for the Civil Service, which will be coming into effect at the beginning of next year.

The Premier said Government had taken the decision to address the widening gap between Civil Service salaries and the rate of inflation in the Cayman Islands.

“Additionally, the Government is cognisant that Civil Service salaries require an uplift to ensure that they remain competitive in both the local and global talent market,” she confirmed.

She said that civil servants worked tirelessly to deliver government services to the public.

“Each day, they ensure the smooth and effective running of their respective entities,” Ms O’Connor-Connolly said. “The Government relies on them to fulfil policy objectives and mandates for the betterment of these beloved Islands that we are proud to call home. Therefore, it is imperative that the Government ensures that civil servants are not at a disadvantage in terms of their salaries, and that they can live comfortably in the same community they serve.”

The Premier went on to say that, in addition to their pay rise, lower paid civil servants would also have their pay reviewed.

“In addition to the 5% COLA adjustment, in the coming months, the Government, along with senior leadership in the Civil Service, will be reviewing additional pay strategies to address the salaries of those civil servants on the three lowest pay grades, namely grades R, Q and P. The aim of this future project is to uplift those pay grades so that the minimum pay any civil servant can receive is $3,000 per month,” she said, adding that a further announcement would follow once the review had been completed.