Premier Pat Binns stated today that future adjustments to Provincial Government Deputy Ministers' salaries will be based on adjustments authorized for Government's Excluded Group. Salary decisions affecting the Excluded Group are usually made following the conclusion of an agreement with the Union of Public Sector Employees and have tended to follow the UPSE settlements.
Until now, there has been no standard process or mechanism for adjusting Deputies' salaries. A comprehensive study undertaken a couple of years ago recommended that such a mechanism be put in place and, because other employment benefits of the Deputies follow those of the Excluded Group, it seemed appropriate to apply salary adjustment decisions as well.
Deputy Ministers' salaries were last adjusted in September 2000 when the salary scale was restructured following completion of the study. The Premier's decision will avoid the necessity in future for such a significant adjustment all at once by having the Deputies' salary scale keep pace with changes in those that apply to other public servants.
"Government has never had an established process to deal with Deputy salaries adjustments; I think this decision will put a process in place," said the Premier.
While UPSE and Excluded Group increases of 3.25% per year for three years were retroactive to April 2001, the Premier advised that Deputy Ministers would not be eligible for that same retroactive payment.