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SICOM Employees Union Demands 35% Salary Increase Retroactively
The SICOM Employees Union is intensifying its demands for a salary revision, calling for a 35% increase retroactively effective from January. This request followed recent announcements regarding the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) and the implementation of salary relativity adjustments in other government sectors. Bose Hoolass, the union president, highlighted that SICOM employees operate under a different framework and are currently awaiting a scheduled salary revision slated for July 2025.
He argued that their salary adjustment should be implemented in January, similar to what other government employees are set to receive from the PRB.
SICOM, a government-owned company, is facing unrest among its employees who feel neglected compared to their counterparts in other government departments.
While some employees have received notifications regarding salary adjustments effective from October, others remained uncertain about their situation.
The SICOM Employees Union is now pushing beyond mere salary relativity in its claims.
Hoolass pointed out that the employees have not been covered by the PRB for some time; instead, management appointed a salary commissioner to conduct salary reviews every three years.
This process has often left the employees dissatisfied, prompting the union to pursue collective bargaining for the upcoming review in July 2025.
With Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announcing that the next PRB report, expected in December 2025, will apply from January, the SICOM Employees Union is advocating for similar treatment.
“As SICOM is also a government-owned company, we believe our request is legitimate,” stated Hoolass.
The union has submitted a formal request to the Prime Minister for the 35% salary increase, expressing their desire for recognition amid the government’s initiatives aimed at youth, the elderly, and civil servants.
In addition to salary adjustments, the SICOM Employees Union is also addressing another critical issue: the second phase of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).
Hoolass noted that the first phase, implemented in 2017, allowed former CEO Karuna Bhoojedhur Obeegadoo to retire at the age of 50, albeit she later returned to SICOM as Chairperson four years later.
The union is now requesting to be afforded similar opportunities.
They are proposing that the second phase of the VRS be revisited by the SICOM Board of Directors starting in December.
The union has shown flexibility in their proposal, agreeing to raise the eligibility age from 50 to 55.
However, Hoolass expressed disappointment, stating that they have yet to receive a positive response from the management or the board.
The union president counters the management’s argument of a staffing shortage, pointing out that recruitment is ongoing, with new young employees being rapidly promoted to team leader positions.
In light of these ongoing issues, Hoolass has called on the Prime Minister to intervene and “restore order” at SICOM.
Source: Le Mauricien