An accounting error by the city administration of the New Caledonian capital will cost it almost 4 million US dollars.
The local daily newspaper in Noumea reports that the error came to light after a union member noticed that town employees elsewhere had a slightly higher pay.
It has been established that 520 employees have missed out on increments of a pay supplement granted to staff on the basis of duration of tenure.
The pays were calculated erroneously since 1987 but workers who missed out will only get backpay for the last five years.
