Govt should have change of heart – ECOSSA president

M– The President of the newlyregistered Eswatini Correctional Services Staff Association (ECOSSA), Simiso Ginindza, has implored government to have a change of heart concerning the matter of the owed monies for security forces’ junior officers.

He said the statement that was delivered by the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, has not been accepted by the membership.

“Junior officers in both departments, HMCS and REPS have given us a new mandate, that is engaging government once again as we cannot wait for a whole year for the matter of Phase II to be settled. I would like to urge government to have a change of heart and to stop playing hide and seek,” Ginindza said.

Ready

Ginindza said that they were ready to once again settle down with government and iron out this matter, however, he made it clear that junior officers would hear none of it, either their owed money. Government, through the Minister of Public Service called a press conference, last week and informed officers that their matter would be handled by an independent consultant.

Minister Maseko further promised the junior officers that the consultant will engage them in the next coming 12 months, so that the matter would be put to bed. During the press conference, Maseko pleaded for calm and patience among the junior officers concerning the matter.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of both organisations then called a big meet at Caritas centre in Manzini where junior officers stated that they were not happy with the minister’s statement and resolved to march the following week to deliver a petition at Cabinet, which they successfully accomplished.

However, senior officers pulled a fast one on Tuesday and sought a court order interdicting the junior officers from proceeding with their proposed march.

Restructuring

Meanwhile, the junior officers are aggrieved over the protracted salary restructuring exercise, which saw their leaders getting an increment following the implementation of Circular No.2 of 2014. The circular was in two Phases; I and II, but only phase I was implemented. Phase II was to be implemented subsequently. However, that never happened to date, it is now the eighth year without the implementation of Phase II. The junior officers stated that as a result of the none implementation of Phase II, they were hungry and could no longer work, hence the appeal to Minister of Police Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini.

The impasse over irregularities in the bread and butter issues in the security forces has been a pain the neck to government. Worth noting is that in 2007, junior officers in both forces approached the High Court to be allowed to register and bargain and be part of the Joint Negotiation Table (JNT).