The National Amalgamated Local Central Government and Parastatals Workers Union has won one more increment battle in a space of less than two months
The Manual Workers Union, which is known for its resilience in fighting for workers rights, has so far kick-started the year impeccably winning almost every battle they embark on.
Of late, the Manual Workers Union signed on the dotted line with Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) to increase the minimum wage salary of public workers to P2,500 effective from April 1. Now after winning their fight against the DPSM, the Union has won one more fight in relation to salary increment of employees of the University of Botswana.
“We are here today to sign an agreement between the Manual Workers and the University of Botswana (UB) as we have been in talks with UB over the pay of the staff in the university,” revealed Robert Rabasimane, the chief union negotiator at the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement.
Rabasimane indicated that the union is really elated to have found a common ground with the university on the salary increment of the employees. “We are really happy that at the end we managed to finally agree to the salary increment of employees. Mind you, the university has got 10 pay bands. And from pay band 1 to pay band 4 the employees will get an increment of 9%. Meanwhile, for those employees who are on pay band 5 to pay band 10 will get an increment of 7%,” revealed Rabasimane.
However, Rabasimane said their road to reaching an agreement with the university had been a bumpy road as nothing was decided in a day’s time. “We started talks with the university last year September, which is the time we submitted our position paper to the UB management, and they accepted it,” indicated Rabasimane. Adding on Rabasimane added that the university accepted their position paper only after a long struggle between the two organisations. “At first we had tabled an offer of 36% increment in all pay bands and as it was expected to be lengthy negotiations. The university got back to us and asked us to reconsider our position which we then did,” he said.
Meanwhile Rabasimane said when the university pleaded with them, the Union then tabled an offer of 15% salary increment which is the one UBASSU and UBSU were calling for. But Rabasimane indicated that the university still did not relent as they even made an offer of four percent across all pay bands. “But we did not agree with their offer of 4% increment. Instead we went down from 15% to 13% respectively,” he revealed. It is said UB still refused the offer put on table only until the Manual Workers Union went down to 9% and 7% respectively.
Though the salary increment may be deemed as a fruitful win, Rabasimane revealed it is only for this financial year. “The salary increment is effective from April 1 and it is a once off thing for this financial year but we should resume other negotiations with the university in February and March next year,” revealed Rabasimane. Commenting on the strike by UBASSU and UBSU, Rabasimane elucidated that the union never in any moment endorse the strike by the UB unions. “We never allowed our workers to strike because we know the danger of no work no pay rule especially for the workers that do not earn much as now we are still even nursing our workers from the 2011 strike,” he noted with concern. However, Rabasimane wishes that UBASSU will put halt to the ongoing demonstrations they held throughout the course of the week as employees have been given salary increment though it is not what they were asking for.
Meanwhile the union has recently managed to acquire 6% after Successful negotiations with Water Utilities Corporation (WUC). Currently, negotiations are ongoing at Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) and next will be Botswana Post.