PAGCOR seeking approval from GCG for salary step increments of employees

In an effort to correct distortions caused by its new Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS), the Philippine gambling regulator PAGCOR announced on Tuesday that it has requested permission from the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) for compensation step increases based on employee length of service.

The regulator said that even though the step increases have been authorized by its Board of Directors, GCG authorization is still required in order to implement them.

This judgment was made in response to PAGCOR’s announcement that it will petition the GCG for reconsideration over the termination of employee benefits in light of the agency’s new pay scale.

In a letter to GCG Chairperson Atty. Marius Corpus, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO highlighted the agency’s commitment to prioritizing employee welfare, highlighting the allowed Implementation of Step Increment based on Length of Service, which is subject to GCG evaluation and approval.

Furthermore, PAGCOR indicated that it wants to submit further appeals with the GCG to ensure that its workers obtain competitive pay and benefits similar to other revenue-generating Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).

According to PAGCOR, the regulator’s acquisition of Authority to Implement the CPCS on January 31 caused a decrease in take-home pay for many workers this month. The CPCS, it says, generated pay scale distortions by returning all workers to Pay Step 1 regardless of decades of experience in service.

Chairman Tengco highlighted the need to make sure that all tenured PAGCOR employees are paid appropriately and within legal boundaries, and he expressed hope that the GCG will grant their request.

The agency referenced a section in the CPCS implementation guidelines that stated, “One step increment shall be granted to qualified personnel for every three years of continuous satisfactory service in the present position.” A total of 7,057 PAGCOR workers, or 72.60% of the agency’s workforce, were discovered to have worked there for more than three years.

Original story by: IAG