Stop 3% CoLA
CoLA equivalent to the inflation rate which was 5.23 per cent, they would have been offered E1 451.87 per month. This would have resulted in them amassing a gross salary of E27 760.35 per month. For this year, if CoLA was awarded at the 5.29 per cent, they would have a gross salary of E29 212.21 as it would have been improved by E1 545.33. This, in essence, means that they would now be earning a gross salary of E30 757.54 as the CoLA equivalent to the inflation of the past five years amounts to E7 361.79.
On the other hand, the lowest paid teacher, who possesses a Primary Teaching Diploma (PTD), would have amassed a hike of E2 596.26 as their monthly gross salary would be E10 847.18. However, they are currently earning E5 486.97 per month and have an annual salary of E65 844.
Signed
In light of this, our sister publication – Eswatini News – reported that PSUs had kick-started a move to try and stop government from processing the CoLA agreement which it signed with EPA.
It was reported that the PSUs were working on collecting concrete evidence to build a prima facie case, which would see them successfully applying for a court interdict, which would stop government from implementing the CoLA agreement.
Eswatini News reported that the PSUs secretariat said they were working against the clock to compile the evidence as soon as possible and file the application, so that they could get the court interdict before government ran its payroll for the month (July 2022).
Worth noting is that government is planning to implement the collective agreement this month, by paying all ununionised civil servants.