BDF, Police salary gap widens

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday November 5, 2012 00:00

 

However the police salary structure remains tied to the Police Act, despite the fact that both the BDF and Police are disciplined forces housed in the same ministry. The delinking of salaries at the BDF has seen all certificates, diploma and degree holders progressing to higher notches in the past month. The soldiers? progression has been backdated to April 2012, resulting in some soldiers pocketing P60,000 in back pays.

However The Monitor can reveal that it is not the case at Police which is facing a similar backlog of progression and promotions due to their unique salary scales governed by the Police Act. The Monitor can reveal that the Police service has been facing a worse situation than the BDF. While there is no corporal (private) with degree qualification at the BDF, the police service is awash with degree holders and diploma holders who are stuck at constable level, which is pecked at B1 scale, and commands a salary of (P4,221.50-P4,845). Compare that with a BDF private with a certificate who can now earn as high as P9,237, the highest notch of C2 scale. As if that is not enough, a BDF private with a diploma can earn as high as P16,326 in contrast to a constable at police who earns in the region of P4,221.50-P4,845), even with a diploma or degree.

At this rate the BDF junior officers (lance corporals, corporals, and warrant officers) now earn much higher than a police sergeant whose salary scale is pecked at C4 (P5,027-P6,005). A Sub Inspector at police, whose salary is pecked at C3 (P6,232-P7,448) also trails a BDF private in earnings.

In fact the highest notch of privates with diploma holders are equivalent to the rank of Inspector (C2) at police.The Monitor can also reveal that while the Police has many diploma holders earning between P4,2221.50 and P4,845 as constables, at BDF the same qualification (diploma) earns a junior officer P6,232, rising to P16,326 (D3 scale).

Interestingly the Police do not have a D3 and D1 salary scales, which are now being enjoyed by their counterparts at the BDF, The Monitor can reveal. Prior to the de-linking, the BDF also did not have the D3 and D1 scale. A BDF private with diploma also earns much higher than a Police superintendent, whose salary is pecked at D4 (P12,859-P14,197) a month.

The Monitor can also reveal that degree holders who are recruited as officer cadets at Police fall into the C3 salary scale, while their counterparts at the BDF now can progress and earn much higher than Senior Superintendent (D2) at police. On Saturday Police Assistant Commissioner, Christopher Mbulawa confirmed the police have been having challenges of promotions for a while now but said he would not want to comment on the de-linking exercise at the BDF because he does not know how it works.

The Monitor can reveal that just like the BDF the Police Service also finds themselves with few posts or nothing at all, leaving hundreds of their officers frustrated and stuck in the same salary bracket for over 10 years in some cases.Meanwhile the minister responsible for the disciplined forces, Ndelu Seretse was not available to explain the widening disparities at BDF and police. His mobile was unreachable on Saturday and Sunday.