ATFPM protests delayed OT payment to civil servants during the pandemic

The Macao Public Servants Association (ATFPM) has protested the non-payment of overtime (OT) work performed by civil servants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a written inquiry to the government via the Legislative Assembly signed by the lawmaker and leader of ATFPM, José Pereira Coutinho, the lawmaker claims that the many extra hours put in by many of the government workers including from the Health Bureau, Security Forces, among others have yet to be paid.

According to Pereira Coutinho, several workers have reported the issue to his office after finding no answers from their supervisors and leaders in the public services as to when these OT payments will be made.

The lawmaker also notes in more general terms that after the pandemic, living costs have suffered a significant increase, with the prices of many essential goods skyrocketing.

Taking such a fact into account, he also calls on the government to update the salary index as well as existing subsidies so that workers can meet the higher costs resulting from inflation.

Citing the conclusions of the study that originated in the Global Wage Salary Report 2022-2023, which addresses the impact of Covid-19 on wages and purchasing power, the lawmaker notes that on average it is estimated that worldwide salaries have dropped (in purchasing power) by 0.9% in the first half of 2022, being the first time in this century that real salary growth was negative.

The study also shows that those with lower incomes are the ones suffering the most from the pandemic impacts, as they spend most of their wages on essentials.

With the inquiry, the lawmaker aims to call the attention of the government to the drop in purchasing power from the local workers, namely the civil servants, that has been happening since 2021.