UNIONS DEMAND NOT LESS THAN 6.8% FROM GOVT

MBABANE – Public sector associations (PSAs) have rubbished an undertaking made by government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as they demand nothing less than 6.8 per cent cost of living.

The PSAs were short of calling the zero per cent cost of living adjustment offered by government and presented to the IMF a mirage. They were in harmony as they said anything less than what was offered to parastatals was an offence. Parastatals were made to cap their demand at 6.8 per cent as cost of living adjustment recently while civil servants have started their negotiations at 9.1 per cent. 

Bheki Mamba, President of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), said what informed the civil servants demand was the growth in the economy of 1.3 per cent computed with the inflation rate of the previous year. This adds to the 9.1 per cent they seek as a cost of living adjustment Mamba admitted that despite this being their ceiling, they were willing to reach a compromise with government. He said as things were, government was offering them nothing which made it impossible to negotiate.

“We can’t accept anything that will not cushion us from inflation; so government must realise and appreciate that as the biggest employer,” Mamba said.
The unionist said failure by government to comprehend that would lead to lots of other entities being affected. The nurses’ union president further noted that should government maintain the current offer of zero per cent, it would be setting a bad precedent as the private sector may mimic the same action.

Reinforcing Mamba’s assertions was Nelisiwe Magule of the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP). Magule said as PSAs, it would be folly of them to accept anything less than the 6.8 per cent afforded to parastatals.

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