Mbabane – The consultant assigned to advise the government on the civil servant’s salary review has reportedly indicated that the annual costs could reach approximately E2.7 billion.
This update emerged last night from the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Lot Vilakat regarding the outcome of the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) meeting which was held at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Vilakati quoted by The SNAT Platform said Public Sector Unions (PSUs) would reject anything less than increases from the government.
He also said their expectations of the review initially thought to be October might face another delay. Vilakati said they did not take it kindly that the government and or consultant missed many deadlines to table the recommendations of the final report.
“We had come to get the report which is long overdue. We were promised on the 30th of June. Since last week, we had set today to receive a full report which we did not get,” he said, adding that even the draft report still doesn’t give them straight answers.
He said they do not yet have clarity on this matter as the report proposes that only 70% of civil servants would have increases effected, while 20% will retain their scales and 17% get reductions. Vilakati said since June, the draft report failed to state who gets what, arguing that the consultant should give firm recommendations instead of multiple options.
“We need to know from the pay scales, who have had increases, who maintains and who had reductions. We are not expecting to have our members getting reductions because were earn less already. That is all we want the report to tell us, how many percent we are getting. That won’t take even two pages,” Vilakati said.
Vilakati added that the government’s body language remains unclear, but current signals suggest an unfavourable outcome, which he warned could harm the well-being of teachers.
One proposal presented shows the wage bill could rise by 30–40 percent about E2.7 billion including allowances. The consultants are also reviewing housing, overtime, and sports and culture teachers’ allowances, with a final report due next Tuesday.
Vilakati said their members should not face salary cuts as they already earn low salaries.
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