PSUs want 4% increment for civil servants

By Phephile Motau

Public Sector Unions (PSUs) want to benefit from the four per cent increment that was offered to the police last year.

The PSAs voiced this demand during the joint negotiation forum (JNF) held with the Government Negotiations Team (GNT) on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by the PSU Secretariat made up of the National Public Sector Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), they met at the Ministry of Public Service Conference Room to deliberate on the issue of appeals and to get an update on the Salary Review processes.

The Unions said they unapologetically submitted that they want to benefit from the increment that was only offered to security forces last year.

“It is our view that all civil servants should enjoy the same rights and privileges, without any discrimination, and as such, the unions demand that all employees in the civil service should benefit from the increment,” they said.

The PSUs said in their last sitting in January, they raised that they would want to engage on the issue of the performance management system (PMS) that was recently launched by the Government without any consultation or negotiation on the matter.

“The Government, however, insists that the introduction and implementation of the PMS remain a prerogative of the employer and as such the process will go ahead,” they said.

The PSUs also said they continued to raise an issue on the sitting of the principal secretary (PS) at the JNF when there has been circulating information on media houses that he should have retired. The GNT responded that the PS is sitting in Office with full authority as a government employee as he has not received any letter terminating his contract of work.

“The PSUs take this moment to assure the membership that if there was any corruption in this matter, they will leave no stone unturned as they will take this matter up with the relevant structures,” the statement reads.

Lastly, the GNT updated the PSUs that the process of the review has begun and it is still at the infant stages as it is still in the tendering processes. It was reported that it is anticipated that the final evaluation and contract signing will be in the third week of March 2023 when the actual work by the consultant shall begin.

“We must indicate to the membership that the Leadership had requested to be part of the evaluation process so that we get to understand the criteria for selection of the consultant and their capabilities. Unfortunately, this was not possible as the GNT clarified that those processes are guided by law (Public Procurement Act 2011),” the PSUs said.

They informed the membership that the actual work by the consultant will begin in April 2023 as outlined in the schedule.