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GOVERNMENT TABLES 5 PER CENT INCREMENT

11/07/2014 04:09:00 BY SENZO DLAMINI

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MBABANE – Government has tabled a new cost of living adjustment offer that has reached the five per cent mark.

The Government Negotiations Team (GNT), according to interviewed representatives of the public sector unions, tabled the new offer during the last meeting.

The Ministry of Public Service played host to the salary negotiations talks on Wednesday. Evart Madlopha, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, yesterday said the salary talks went on accordingly. Madlopha is the Chief Negotiator while Secretary to Cabinet Mbuso Dlamini is the Chairman of the GNT.

The newly-tabled five per cent reflects an increase of 0.25 per cent from last week’s 4.75 per cent offer.
Madlopha declined to commit himself on the new offer and cited confidentiality in the salary negotiations as the main reason. “A joint statement signed by both parties will definitely be issued immediately after both parties have reached an agreement on the offer,” stated the principal secretary. “Wednesday’s talks went very well, but we have not yet reached any sort of agreement.”

Last year, government and the public sector unions settled for a 4.5 per cent offer. At the commencement of the negotiations about two months ago, government offered the workers three per cent as a cost of living salary adjustment. The unions rejected the offer saying it was too meagre. During Wednesday’s salary talks, the unions demanded 11 per cent as cost of living from the employer.

At first, the public sector unions demanded a double-digit 15.5 per cent, but later reduced it to 11.5, followed by 11.25 and subsequently 11 per cent. The public sector unions comprise the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) and the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP).

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Comments (2 posted):

Happy girl on 11/07/2014 08:53:19

Phambili ma comrades. manini ku 11 per cent, sekudlalwe ngatsi kakhulu. Everything increases, the allow 25 per cent for transport but civil servants who commute everyday get only 5 percent,even the bus allowance does not increase.