COLA AWARD DOUSES RESIGNATION FRENZY

MANZINI – There has been a change of heart in the quest to resign from unions by some civil servants.

This follows that the desired target – cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) – which had coerced some civil servants to tender and or even contemplate tendering resignation letters to their unions, has been awarded to them as well. This publication last month reported that there were about 365 civil servants who reportedly tendered their resignations of membership in the Public Service Unions (PSUs) of Swaziland.

At the time, the fraction of the unionised civil servants wanted to resign from the various unions forming the PSUs of Swaziland because they did not benefit from the three per cent CoLA of the monthly basic salary across the board, which was backdated to April 1, 2022 and the once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary.

The CoLA and once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary had only been awarded to non-unionised civil servants. The 365 members were said to have tendered their resignations from the membership of the PSUs which are: National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) and Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP).

Signed

However, following the collective agreement signed by the PSUs on Wednesday, with the employer, who is represented by the Government Negotiation Team (GNT), in the Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF), civil servants have heaped praises on their leaders. In various platforms, the civil servants acknowledged that their leaders had no alternative other than to sign the collective agreement awarding unionised civil servants three per cent CoLA of the monthly basic salary across the board, which was backdated to April 1, 2022 and the once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary.

Some said they needed the money and the conclusion of the CoLA agenda item meant that they were staying put in their organisations as there was no need to leave any longer. Despite expressing that they were happy that their leaders had signed for the agreement with government, some of the civil servants claimed that the employer had won the battle against CoLA and hyped their leaders not to let this be the case with the upcoming salary review.

Meanwhile, the PSUs represent about 21 535 civil servants, which is a fraction of the 42 686 workers under the employ of government as per the Establishment Register for the financial year 2022/23. Collectively, civil servants and politicians are remunerated through the wage bill, which was projected to be around E7.3 billion at the end of the past financial year (March 31, 2022). The PSUs started negotiations with the GNT, almost five weeks after the latter had signed a collective agreement with the Eswatini Principals Association (EPA) on June 27, 2022. It is worth noting that while the pair signed the collective agreement, the GNT and the PSUs had reached a deadlock on the agenda as the latter wanted CoLA to be the last item on the agenda while the former wanted it to be the first.

Teachers

On the other hand, EPA represented head and deputy head teachers who are classified as managers. When the pair signed the collective agreement, un-unionised civil servants, who include politicians, members of the security cluster and civil servants in management were awarded three per cent CoLA of the monthly basic salary which will be backdated to April 1, 2022, and also the once-off payment of one per cent of annual basic salary. Secretary General (SG) of SWADNU Mayibongwe Masangane appreciated that their members understood the challenges that they faced during this particular agenda item.

He said the JNF was held in bad faith as government had already signed a collective agreement with EPA as members of PSUs were encouraged to resign from their unions in order to qualify for the award of the CoLA and one per cent once-off of the annual salary. His sentiments were also shared by the SG of SNAGAP, Phumzile Masilela. She said they signed for the offer extended by the GNT due to the fact that their members were resigning.

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