The Fiji Public Service Association is calling for a 10 to 20 percent pay rise for civil servants in the form of a Cost of Living Adjustment or COLA to be announced in the 2026/2027 National Budget.
FPSA General Secretary, Judith Kotobalavu says they are proposing a 20 percent Cost of Living Adjustment for civil servants on salary bands between $12,000 to $25,000 and a 10 percent COLA for those earning above $25,000.
Kotobalavu says the civil servants are facing escalated cost of living pressure, and this is placing workers under sustained financial pressure.
She says they also want a proper and efficient Job Evaluation Exercise in the civil service and the return of the long service leave which was taken away by the previous government when it had introduced the term contracts.
Kotobalavu says the association is also calling on the government to reconsider the time off in lieu option after taking away the overtime pay option.
She says the overtime monetary pay is important for the essential workers.
Kotobalavu says she has heard that ministries are returning the budgeted funds for not completing projects, and based on that, how can the government say it does not have funds to pay for overtime.
The FPSA General Secretary stresses that the conditions of the civil servants should be looked at as many are leaving.
She also asks how comments are being made that the civil service numbers are large when we continue to hear about staff shortages and people leaving.
Kotobalavu stresses that they do not expect a salary reduction but an increase in the National Budget.
The 2026/2027 National Budget will be delivered on June 26th.
