Bureau of Public Works under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Industries have lost 30 employees out of the 68 employees since 2015, reported Director Brian Melairei during the oversight hearing with the Senate Committee on CIPI.
Cited as one of the main challenges faced by the Bureau of Public Works, Director Melairei explained that the loss of employees had made it very hard to keep up the regular maintenance of the Compact Road around Babeldaob and Koror.
The main reason cited for the loss of employees is the level of salary the workers receive for the type of work they do. “Road maintenance work is one of the hardest jobs in the government,” asserted Melairei.
“The reclassification of salary a few years ago is no longer proportionate to today’s expenses,” Melairei said of the challenges keeping employees working.
Finding the Chief of Road Maintenance had been a challenge as well, with the retiring employee’s contract extended three times already. Joe Reklai, the Chief of Road Maintenance, was scheduled to retire, but he has been extended twice while BPS looks for a replacement.
The Bureau of Public Work admitted to looking for other ways to hire and keep employees and strive for a gender-neutral employment environment.