MANZINI – Civil servant unions have indicated readiness to sign onto the new salary structure, provided that experience-based notches are maintained.
This was said to have been the resolution of the joint General Council (GC) meeting which was held at the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Centre yesterday.
The GC was said to have been convened to chart a way forward on the 2025 Salary Review impasse between the Public Sector Unions (PSUs) and the representatives of the employer – Government Negotiating Team (GNT) in the Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF) held last Friday.
SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati said they met yesterday and the consensus among all the branch leaders advising the national executive committees (NCEs) of all the PSUs was that they wanted the full implementation with notch to notch and backpay (April 2025).
He said the worker representatives threw caution that restarting all employees at notch one would disadvantage those on higher job grades such that their backpay would be less.
He said it was also emphasised that the PSUs should negotiate for the full implementation of the salary review, while appreciating what both the GNT and the PSUs have found common ground on.
He said: “Unions remain optimistic that the salary review will be implemented this month, as the ongoing engagements with government are set to ensure fairness across different experience levels.”
Vilakati said the PSUs will today be negotiating on the mandate assigned to them by their members as per the joint GC. He reiterated that the current salary review process differs from a cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA). A salary review is guided by a salary review report, whereas in CoLA talks, unions table a demand and the employer presents a counter-offer, initiating negotiations.
The unionist explained that in a salary review process, the scales are guided by job profiling, which is conducted by a professional consultant. Additionally, the president of the teachers’ union said that when compiling the report and recommendations, the consultant also considers the country’s economic situation, including the employer’s affordability.
He further said what the employer is supposed to do after receiving the salary review report, which recommends implementing Scenario III at a cost of E1.643 billion, is to raise the money and implement the recommendations as they are.
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