The University of Papua New Guinea is committed to pay the delayed 7.5 percent pay increase for staff members.
The salary increase stems from the Government’s approval of an annual 7.5 percent pay increase for all public servants in PNG, commencing in 2012.
Dr Nicholas Mann, the UPNG Acting Chancellor, said the issue concerning the 7.5 percent pay increase is not an industrial matter.
Dr Mann clarified that the university has already honoured this pay rise for three years, from 2012 to 2014, which represents a salary increase of 22.5 percent for academic and non-academic staff.
The only remaining issue is the payment of pay increases for 2015 and 2016.
Dr Mann confirmed that the University has already factored in the approved wage increase for 2015 and will do so for 2016 for all staff by Pay period number four in 2017.
This will effectively mean that staff will have received, upon payment, a total pay rise of about 37.5 percent over five years.
Dr Mann said that the university has repeatedly requested the government, through the annual Budgets for 2015 to 2017, to provide the funding for this annual pay rise.
“The administration has made many submissions to government and also held many discussions regarding this issue but to no avail with the most recent submission done on January 6 2017.
“This is not an industrial dispute over the pay rise and the University Administration has consistently informed all staff that.
“Once we find the money, we will pay the outstanding for 2015 and 2016,” Dr Mann said.
Dr Mann added that the main challenge they face is the cash flow due to the crises boycott last year.
This has affected their Budget but the University is far ahead in settling the salary rise.