Revision allowing pay raise

The government revised a regulation regarding payment for civil servants to make it possible to raise their salaries at will. Based on this revision, the government decided to pay its employees "salary adjustment bonuses" amounting to 85 percent of their basic pay in August and October.

In a cabinet council meeting presided by President Kim Dae-Jung, the government on Aug. 1 set up a new clause (Article 32- Clause 2) allowing it to pay salary adjustment bonuses within the budget in order to improve pay conditions of its employees.

Consequently, the government has decided to pay its employees 42.5 percent of their basic salaries in August and October. These adjustment bonuses will be included in salaries to be paid Jan. 1 next year or calculated into yearly stipends.

A Central Personnel Committee official said the 480 billion won needed for these payments can be disbursed from personnel expenses item under the extra budget for year 2000.

However, some have criticized such measure, saying it`s an expedient and abuse of authority for the government to be able to raise salaries of civil servants at will, as well as an act ignoring the National Assembly`s right to deliberate. Until now, the government had to present a budget which reflects pay hike of civil servants to the regular National Assembly session and get an approval before they could pay raised salaries January the following year.

The personnel committee official said though salary adjustment fees are not dealt with as a separate item, personnel expenses are included in the extra budget, which must go through deliberation by the National Assembly. The official, therefore, said the government was not ignoring the National Assembly`s right to deliberate.