The Fiji Council of Social Services reiterates to the elected leaders that despite the determination made last week and the subsequent gazetting of that resolution, their salary increases remain unjustifiable in light of the daily struggles of ordinary people and the vulnerable.
FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga says there are more urgent needs to address the pressing cost of living issues faced by parts of the civil service that deliver essential and social services such as police, nurses, teachers, and others whose salaries have been stagnant for far longer than politicians.
She says the salary increases approved remain unjustifiable as there is a lack of independence in the Emoluments Committee and the lack of a performance measure or review. Catanasiga says they are aware that there are parliamentary procedures that allow for the reversing of that decision so they strongly urge parliamentarians on both sides of the house to take heed of the voices of the citizens who have raised their concerns on many forums and condemned the hypocrisy of their decision, to use that and reverse the decision for the salary hikes.
She says alternatively, FCOSS and the people of Fiji plead with the parliamentarians to do everything that is legally permissible to reverse the decision made to increase their salary including not passing the proposed amendments to the Emoluments Act.
