Senate approves SSL IV; higher pay scale for nurses, state workers next year

In a vote of 14-0, the Senate has approved Monday, December 14 on third and final reading the proposed Salary Standardization Law IV which seeks increase the salaries of government employees, including nurses, teachers and soldiers.



Senate Bill No. 2671 was sponsored by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Sen. Chiz Escudero as co-sponsor.

In explaining the measure, Trillanes said the SSL IV would be implemented in four tranches, starting from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2019, to ensure that state workers would receive a higher net take-home pay that is "fair, reasonable, in recognition of fiscal realities."

Drilon said the SSL IV was also intended to attract more professionals into the public workforce by making compensation for all civilian government personnel "competitive with those doing comparable work in the private sector," noting that a study commissioned by the Department of Budget and Management pegged the government's pay scheme at 45 percent below market.

Drilon said that reforming the low pay rates in the public sector "will solve the exodus of government workers who leave their posts to seek greener pastures in the private sector and abroad." Similarly, Trillanes said the pay increase for military and uniformed personnel sought to promote "pay equity for an effective, efficient, committed, competent and motivated corps of officers and enlisted personnel." Trillanes said the higher wages to be introduced under the SSL IV would serve as an anti-corruption measure.

"Due to the competitive compensation package, our public servants can be effectively discouraged from resorting to scrupulous activities in order to augment their meager income and instead, focus their efforts and energy on serving the public, curbing corruption and cutting red tape."

New Salary Rates According to Trillanes, the proposed measure will introduce a new compensation and position classification system (CPCS) which will bring the pay of government personnel closer to prevailing rates in the private sector, or to at least 70 percent of the market rate for all salary grades. This means government personnel like nurses who are currently receiving P24,887 per month (under Salary Grade 15) will have their salaries raised to P26,192 next year. In the final year of the SSL, their monthly salaries shall have been raised to P30,531.

He said the minimum basic salary for civilian government personnel (Salary Grade 1 or "Administrative Aide") would be raised from the current rate of P9,000 to P11,068.




Aside from the increases in the monthly salary of government personnel, the proposed measure also introduces an improved set of allowances and benefits, such as 14th month pay, a mid-year bonus, and an enhanced performance-based bonus which can be equal or double the monthly salary.

"The bill will maximize the employees' net take-home pay and recognize the government personnel who play a greater role and carry a heavier responsibility in improving government performance," Trillanes said.

The Congress is aiming to submit SSL IV to Malacanang for President Benigno Aquino III's signature before the year ends so that employees, except for incumbent elected national officials and members of Cabinet, will be able to enjoy the new salary package starting January 1, 2016.

He said the Senate had earlier approved the 2016 General Appropriations Act, which already included a P57.9 billion allocation for the implementation of the first tranche of wage hikes planned under the SSL IV next year. [via Senate]