The Federation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB) has strongly criticised a government decision to stall on lowering the wages for MPs and ministers, while they have had to contend with lowered wages themselves.
Last week, a parliamentary-appointed committee ruled to delay lowering the salaries of members of parliament, ministers, and other high-ranking public officials. The decision to lower their salaries was made in the wake of the economic collapse of autumn 2008. While that was to take effect, the committee decided to not only stall the salary drop, but to make it retroactive to October 2011.
RÚV reports that Elín Björg Jónsdóttir, the director of BSRB, is less than pleased with the decision.
She pointed out that many government employees, on both a state and municipal level, have had to endure salary drops themselves, most of which were supposed to be temporary. “It’s pretty obvious that the priorities are a bit strange,” she said. “But we intend of course to look at this as a sign that the time has come to correct the salaries of all public employees who have had their pay cut in a similar fashion.”
BSRB plans to meet with the Minister of Finance to discuss the matter further.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
