CIVIL SERVANTS’ SALARY REVIEW THIS YEAR

LOBAMBA – If the words of the Minister of Public Service, Owen Nxumalo are anything to go by, then civil servants would have something to smile about this year.

The minister has given assurance that civil servants would definitely get something regarding the cost of living adjustment (COLA) that they have been fighting for.

Nxumalo made the assurance during the portfolio committee debate of his ministry in Parliament yesterday after MPs demanded to know what government was doing about the issue.

During the debate, Hosea MP Thulani Masuku demanded to know as to how and why government arrived at the decision that the COLA should go to the negotiations table.

Masuku’s argument was that the COLA was different from a salary review of civil servants, which he said meant there was no need to take it to the negotiations table.

“Government did this on purpose because it knew that at the negotiations table, it would be able to do as it pleases and eventually win over the civil servants,” said Masuku.
Joining the debate, MP Jan Sithole said government needed to understand that there were cost implications for the action of not taking the COLA seriously.

According to Sithole, whenever the salary review was done every five years, it was bound to be costly so long as the cost of living adjustment was not being
considered prior.

In response, Nxumalo told the legislators that last year there were financial challenges, which was the reason the wishes of the civil servants were not fulfilled.
“I cannot commit myself to a figure but I can safely say that it is being considered this year. Something will be done for civil servants. I will return to give MPs a full report.”

Nxumalo did not elaborate much on the issue to offer clarity on where the money to implement the process would come from.
Principal Secretary, Evart Madlopha could also not shed light on where the money would come from as he only stated that government got money from sources such as taxes.

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