Paying insufficient wages is an insult to public servants.

According to experts, it is necessary to re-evaluate the standards and quality of civil servants and public employees; increase their salaries appropriately to improve the quality of public services.

Paying the "foot to the shoe" style

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang said that the objective of the salary policy reform project for cadres, civil servants and public employees in the 2013-2020 period is to adjust salary levels to be closer to the reality of socio-economic development, ensuring that cadres, civil servants and public employees have salaries that reach the average level of society. This is one of the criteria contributing to better implementation of social progress and equity; promoting international economic integration, associated with administrative reform and contributing to preventing and combating corruption.

Proposed minimum salary for civil servants is 3.15 million VND/month

Because according to the assessment of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the minimum wage adjusted from May 1, 2012 to VND 1,050,000/month only ensures 75% of the lowest regional minimum wage and is equal to 52.5% of the highest regional minimum wage of enterprises. According to the calculation of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the regional minimum wage implemented from October 1, 2011 to the end of 2012 is only equal to about 78% of the minimum living standard. And, the starting salary coefficient of 2.34 (the average coefficient applied to cadres and civil servants who have graduated from university and have completed internship) is still much lower than the salary increases on the market, leading to the salary scale and grade system being average, the salary determined for the corresponding positions does not accurately reflect the complexity of the work.

Experts say that in order to reform wages, we must first realize that this is an important issue in reforming the socialist-oriented market mechanism in our country. Currently, the socio-economic system is developing rapidly, but the wage system is still lagging behind and very backward.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung, former Director of the Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs, emphasized: “If this reform does not break the vicious cycle of previous reforms, it will not be successful. The vicious cycle over the past years is clear: after many reforms, salaries are still not enough to live on. Salaries account for a very small part of civil servants’ income, but the proportion of budget expenditure on salaries is very high. Therefore, for a long time, our country has been paying salaries in the style of “cutting the foot to fit the shoe”.

And, Dr. Dung warned: “Salary reform must be placed in correlation with the salary level and income of the market sector. If this relationship is not satisfied, it will lead to the syndrome of “deprivation to compensate for salary” in the performance of tasks and public services (leading to negativity and corruption), administrative intervention in the market by interest groups to “demand benefit sharing”, disrupting and distorting the market and increasing the “brain drain” from the state sector to the market sector, where salaries and incomes are higher”.

Cannot level the civil service

Experts say that salary reform is necessary and urgent to prevent “brain drain” from state agencies. However, to adjust the salary level in a truly objective, scientific and practical way, in line with the country’s socio-economic development, it is necessary to first clearly define who are cadres, civil servants and public employees. Because currently, this force is very large, increasing, and the criteria for determination are unclear, and “joining the civil service is easy”.

Mr. Dang Nhu Loi, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee, asked: "Who are cadres, civil servants, and public employees according to the Law on Cadres, Civil Servants and the Law on Public Employees in the draft salary reform orientation, does it include: drivers, service staff, electricity, water, security and similar positions?"

Mr. Loi also emphasized: "The draft salary reform defines "Cadres, civil servants, and public employees living on a salary at an average level in society" as vague and unfeasible because what is the average living standard in society? Who determines it? How is it determined? Who announces it and how is it periodically announced to adjust their salaries". Therefore, Mr. Loi suggested rewriting it as "ensuring that cadres, civil servants, and public employees can live on a salary at least equal to the average income of workers in the enterprise".

The issue of socializing public services is closely linked to the staff, civil servants, and public employees in terms of both living standards and quality of public services. However, the viewpoint of socializing services of public service units has been raised for nearly 20 years but is still just a slogan and policy, not yet put into practice in a strict, scientific, and comprehensive manner because the viewpoint and the specific implementation of the viewpoint are still unclear and inconsistent...

In addition, many experts believe that salary reform for cadres, civil servants and public employees must reach a salary level that is the main source of income to ensure the lives of themselves and their families, helping them feel secure in their work, performing their duties and ensuring public service requirements according to the law. At the same time, there must be strict discipline, truly screening and eliminating cadres, civil servants and public employees who do not meet the requirements from the state apparatus.

Dr. Thang Van Phuc, former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, said that the current way of evaluating cadres, civil servants, and public employees, paying their salaries, and the constraints that "tie them down" are not good. They need to be placed in a competitive labor market environment of a real market economy. There, they are also equal workers, must be properly evaluated, and paid accordingly. In particular, it is necessary to fight against egalitarianism and leveling among civil servants and public employees, and to make salaries and incomes transparent.

Mr. Phuc emphasized: “The current salary system is disrupting order and discipline in the public administration system. The mindset of paying salaries as a gift has been creating a situation where superiors do not listen to subordinates, losing effectiveness and discipline in public service. Furthermore, paying salaries that are not enough to live on is an insult to the team of cadres, civil servants and public employees.”

Mr. Nguyen Huu Dung said that, in addition to salary reform, it is necessary to implement the autonomy of organizations, agencies, units and the role and personal responsibility of the heads of organizations, agencies, and units. Along with that, it is necessary to increase the initiative in solving work according to the law of cadres, civil servants, and public employees (no more depending on the opinions of superiors!). In particular, it is necessary to implement the mechanism of the unit head deciding on labor recruitment, salary payment and labor dismissal, if the standards are not met./.

according to VOV