CIVIL SERVANTS TAKE IMPASSE WITH GOVT TO CMAC

MBABANE – Dead end!

This phrase has proven to be true following the obtaining scenario at the joint negotiations forum (JNF). Shortly after the resumption of talks yesterday, the government negotiations team (GNT) and public sector associations (PSAs) failed to agree on the items on the agenda. This has resulted in PSAs agreeing to register a dispute with CMAC today. Last week, PSAs petitioned government following its last-minute postponement of the JNF, citing other commitments by the GNT.  However, the talks could not continue yesterday as they did not agree on the items on the agenda.  This follows an agreement that was reached during the last JNF meeting to have the negotiations framework come first on the agenda, followed by 2016 appeals, allowances and salary review exercise. However, government on the other hand, wanted the sequence of the agenda to be COLA, negotiations framework, appeals and salary review. Both parties then agreed in principle that the negotiations framework should be the first item.

Withdrew

Government had a change of heart yesterday and withdrew the agreement. This was after PSAs refused that the cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) be placed as a second item on the agenda.  Articulating on what transpired during the meeting, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Deputy Secretary General Simanga Khumalo said trouble began when they were supposed to take up item number two on the agenda, which had to be appeals but government insisted on discussing CoLA. Khumalo said if the 2022/2023 CoLA was placed ahead of 2016 appeals and allowances, it did not make sense to them as the judgment made would be on a false position. “If 2016 allowances will be effected as per the salary review, it means when 2022/2023 is effected, it will be on improved wages.”

Khumalo said this was because if the 2016 review stated that housing allowance was at 3 500 which had not been effected and when this year’s CoLA was included, it would add on top of the allowance which would make the wages much better. However, he mentioned that if CoLA was ahead on the agenda and discussed before the appeals and allowances, it would mean they were disregarding the pending 2016 salary review process, yet it would allow members to survive the current economic situation. He stated that item two, which had to be discussed, were appeals, while three was allowances. These issues, he said, were not exhausted from the 2016 salary review. He said as PSAs, they were of the view that they needed to complete those issues first because the salary review for 2021/2022 would also have its own appeals and allowances. Khumalo said they hoped that they would first address the pending issues before engaging on the new ones. “Government refused to discuss the items and also went to the extent of withdrawing item number one on the agenda.”

The deputy SG said the differences between the PSAs and government were delaying the JNF as they were failing to come up with the agenda for 2022/2023. He said following the disagreements, they were yet to consult on the way forward. Khumalo stated that the order of priority on the agenda was informed by their principals. He said parties needed to justify why they wanted a specific item to be discussed. He said their argument was that the issues were common, adding that the challenge was prioritising them. “By allowing the negotiations forum to be first on the agenda is because the other issues will then automatically fall into place.” He said government, on the other hand, was not prepared to justify why they wanted CoLA to come second on the agenda. Khumalo said they raised their concerns that they were not meeting at the JNF to be dictated to by government but instead to be partners and look at issues in order of their priority.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Sipho Tsabedze said they wanted CoLA to be the first item, but the PSAs refused and wanted the negotiations framework. Tsabedze said through the spirit of negotiation, they allowed for it on condition that CoLA was second on the agenda. “PSAs are not negotiating but dictating.” He said the challenge with PSAs was that they were dictating and wanted government to take their sequence. The PS said all they wanted was for the items to alternate, being PSAs item and government followed which they believed was fair. Tsabedze said they also felt CoLA was a priority and that nothing would be disregarded if it came second on the agenda.

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