Hundreds of fire officers will be disappointed this month-end as they will not be receiving any backpay.
Instead, firefighters could be owing the Government thousands of dollars as the Chief Personnel Officer moves to recover this money.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced last Friday that the protective services would be receiving 50 per cent of their backpay in cash by the end of June.
However, in a brief interview yesterday, president of the Fire Service Association, Leo Ramkissoon, said the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) has advised the Chief Fire Officer, in writing, that officers who are acting in the Fire Service in higher ranks are not to receive certain allowances.
During the past few years, these officers have not received acting allowances but other allowances were paid which will be recovered from their backpay, he said.
“The officers who attend Cipriani College on the two-year scholarship and officers acting in higher offices will not be receiving their allowances. They are attempting to recover the money from their backpay. They will still be owing after the backpay is recovered,” he said.
Ramkissoon said the monies to be taken from officers could be as much as up to $90,000.
He said a total of 99 per cent of the fire officers who took up acting appointments could be affected, from the rank of fire sub-officer and fire sub-station officer.
He said the monies were considered an overpayment by the CPO’s office and the administration is moving to recover that overpayment from their backpay.
“This matter is considered unresolved at the level of the Chief Personnel Officer while steps are still being undertaken to withhold the arrears owed to fire officers. It is very unfair and we view this as an attack on officers who further educate themselves through tertiary education in the field of industrial relations, cooperative studies and health and safety studies,” he said.
Ramkissoon said when the fire officers are sent on the scholarship they lose some 40 per cent of their monthly income as no allowances are paid to them.
“They (scholarship recipients) view this as punishment for accepting the opportunity for further education. This contributes to a brain drain in the organisation,” he said.
He said the association is calling for an intervention from the Minister of Finance at this time.
“But the Personnel Department has failed to respond to the association on this matter since last year August. The association has objected to this vehemently and has engaged in consultation with the Chief Personnel Officer on this issue. However, their personnel department (CPO) has failed to respond as agreed to in writing which forces the association to take the issue to the Minister of Finance.”
Ramkissoon said this occurred because of the lack of promotions during the past eight years.
“If they were promoted they would not have to undergo this problem instead of waiting on their promotions and being placed to act,” he said.
Contacted yesterday, acting Chief Fire Officer Roosevelt Bruce said, “The auditors are working on it.”
Attempts to contact Finance Minister Colm Imbert and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon proved futile.