COLA: MBABANE ALSO REJECTS 3%

MBABANE – Public sector associations (PSAs) under the Mbabane branch have unanimously rejected the three per cent offered by government for their cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA).

This happened yesterday during a meeting held in preparation for the ongoing negotiations between government and the civil servants, which will take place today. PSAs are made up of over 42 000 civil servant affiliated to the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP) and the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU).

Final

The decision taken by the Mbabane branch is yet to be consolidated with the directive given by the other branches before a final decision can be taken, according to SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini. The civil servants stated that accepting the three per cent offer would worsen their financial situation. They stated that their calculations had pointed out that the offer would mean that the lowest paid workers would receive an increment of E83. On the other hand, while the highest paid workers would get E1 600 if they shared the E227million offered by government. The civil servants were afforded an opportunity to make their contributions during the meeting.

A civil servant, who spoke without introducing himself, stated that the three per cent offer could only be acceptable if backdated to 2017. He stated that accepting the three per cent offer would attract tariffs, resulting in some civil servants struggling to survive even after the adjustment. Another member, Welcome Motsa, asked his colleagues what would happen if they rejected the three per cent offer.

Ceiling

In response, SNAGAP President Eric Ndlovu stated that seemingly, they had reached the ceiling as government was insisting on the three per cent offer. However, Ndlovu stated that civil servants needed to consider the consequences of accepting the offer, especially due to the fact that some earned below the tax line. 

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