“No problem, because if we don’t accept them now, we still have to convince them [later], so it’s better to involve them from the beginning,” Bernama Online reported the Chief Secretary as saying today.
Last week, Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman demanded for the union to be given another three spots on the taskforce on the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA), and threatened to quit if this was not granted.
The chairman of the taskforce, Tan Sri Ismail Adam, said yesterday that he was not authorised to approve the additions, prompting Cuepacs to take the issue up with Hassan.
Repeated objections to the SBPA forced Putrajaya to institute a review even before the new pay structures could be implemented, with the taskforce due to complete its study by April 16.
The taskforce will be headed by former director-general of the Public Service Department Ismail, and will include representation from the Public Service Department, Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Finance Ministry and Cuepacs.
The Malaysian Insider previously reported of rumblings within the 1.4 million-strong civil service — a key Barisan Nasional vote bank — over the glaring differences in pay packages between the upper and lower tiers of the force.
The SBPA had already run into previous objections from Cuepacs, who complained it was not consulted adequately before the scheme was rolled out.
Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers also accused Putrajaya of “bulldozing” the scheme through, and criticised it for being vague and failing to confer with stakeholders adequately.
