GOVT OPENS TABLE FOR COLA TALKS

MANZINI – In the ongoing CoLA battle for 2019/20 between PSAs and government, the unions have won round one but still there is a long way to go.

This is because in yesterday’s meeting between the public sector associations (PSAs) and the government negotiation team (GNT), the unions managed to push for the inclusion of the 2019/20 CoLA issue on the negotiations’ agenda.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Public Service conference room in Mbabane.

Insiders

According to insiders within the PSAs, the GNT allegedly had no desire to include the issue of 2019/20 cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) on the agenda.
It is worth noting that during their meeting, which was held on June 19, 2019, the GNT reiterated that the administration is facing serious cash flow challenges, which is a ‘hymn’ that it had been singing before the current government came into office.

On that note, the GNT pointed out that it was willing to continue with negotiations for the current financial year so long as the substantive agenda items do not have a bearing on money. It said it could negotiate on other implementable issues whose due implementation would not require any finances.

However, the PSA’ leaders led civil servants in a big march last Wednesday where they petitioned the Ministry of Public Service and Prime Minister’s (PM) Office demanding that it should reconvene meaningful negotiations, where the issue of CoLA would also be discussed.
The insiders said during yesterday meeting, the GNT proposed that on the 2019/20 negotiations agenda, they should incorporate three items; negotiations framework, appeals for the 2016 salary review and allowances.

However, they said the unions agreed with government about the three items but argued that the issue of 2019/20 CoLA should also form part of the agenda items.

“After a long engagement about including the issue of CoLA on the agenda, the GNT eventually agreed and it was put as item number four, which is the last one,” the insiders said.

Clarify

However, they clarified that even though the issues on the agenda would be addressed according to its (agenda) chronology, it does not mean that they would wait until they finish an item before they start talking about the subsequent one.

“We can discuss the items parallel to each other. For example, when we meet again on July 17, 2019, we will be engaging on the second item (appeals) while also getting a report on the first item (negotiations framework),” they said.

However, the insiders mentioned that even though the PSAs were successful in pushing for the CoLA issue to be part of the negotiation’s agenda items, they still have to negotiate. In fact, they said they have to table a demand before the GNT make a counter offer, which would mark the start of the negotiations.

The PSAs secretariat, through the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini, confirmed the meeting and that the issue of CoLA for 2019/20 was included on the agenda.

It is worth noting that civil servants have not received CoLA in the past two financial years (2017/19 and 2018/19). For that reason, they had given PM Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini until next week Wednesday to ensure that in their July 2019 salaries, a sum of 14.4 per cent adjustment is affected.

The 2019/20 negotiations
agenda framework
Appeals for 2016 salary review
Allowances
2019/20 CoLA

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