Some civil servants unhappy
MANZINI – Some civil servants are unhappy with the delays in the negotiations with government, caused by a pending issue with SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini.
The civil servants are complaining that the delay in negotiations for their bread and butter issues will affect them when they get their allowances money.
The delay in the sitting of the -oint Negotiation )orum -N) is said to be caused by issues revolving the presence of the Swa]iland National Association of Teachers SNAT President, Mbongwa 'lamini, partaking in the forum, while his employment was terminated from the civil service.
,t is worth noting that 'lamini’s employment as a teacher was terminated by the Teaching Service Commission TSC on August 2 , 2023, through a letter issued by the Executive Secretary, Nhlanhla 'lamini. However, the SNAT president appealed this decision and it is yet to be heard by the courts.
Employment
2n the other hand, as his employment status is still not decided by the courts, some civil servants have contacted this publication and vented in various forums that the delay in the sitting of the -N), would result in them not benefitting in some of the adjustments they sought conclusion of before government’s financial year lapsed.
The government financial year lapses on March 31.
The concerns, which have been raised by some of the civil servants, revolved on the fact that there had been only one -N) sitting this year, following that it had been suspended in August 2023, when Cabinet was dissolved.
At the time, the Government Negotiation Team GNT raised a concern that due to the Cabinet ministers vacating office, they would be without mandate givers regarding the various positions taken by the Public Sector 8nions PS8s of Swa]iland.
The PS8s are the National Public Service and Allied :orkers 8nion NAPSA:8 , Swa]iland 'emocratic Nurses 8nion S:A'N8 , Swa]iland National Association of Government
Accounting Personnel SNAGAP and SNAT.
They represent about 21 535 public service workers, based on their four unions’ membership updates, who are a fraction of the 42 686 civil servants, according to the Establishment 5egister for the financial year 2023/24.
Conversely, the GNT represents the employer.
According to some sources and civil servants, the delay in the negotiations shall have a negative effect on issues which could have been concluded in this financial year and implemented from April 1, 2024.
They claimed that a priority which was being discussed when the -N) was suspended last year and was to continue from the subsequent sittings from )ebruary 7, 2024, was the issue of allowances.
Dragged
The sources claimed that this issue had dragged from 2016 when government implemented the salary review. They said they were hoping that an agreement would have been reached, such that they could get the allowances and also have the cost-of-living adjustment CoLA , pending the conclusion of the ongoing salary review. ,t is worth noting that there is a provision of about E350 million set aside for civil servants’ CoLA for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The sources and some civil servants claimed that the current impasse on the SNAT president’s issue shall affect negotiations on all the aforementioned issues.
They claimed that government should either accept that the matter was still pending in court and as such, 'lamini was presumed innocent pending its finality and subsequently let the negotiations proceed.
2n these allegations, NAPSA:8 President, %awinile Ndlovu, was contacted to establish if this issue had been brought up to her union by some civil servants and if government had communicated this with them.
Ndlovu said: “Nothing formal has been communicated, but we’ve heard about it through the grapevine. :e believe that government is making the SNAT president a scapegoat.´
She said if there were any issues with Mbongwa’s presence in the -N), they should be communicated formally. Ndlovu said at the moment, they were expecting the GNT to convene a meeting.
Communicate
Also, SNAT Secretary General Lot 9ilakati said they were aware of the issue as it had been brought up during a bilateral meeting with the employer. 9ilakati said when the issue was brought up, his organisation requested the employer to communicate it formally.
“They said they were going to recharge their mandate on the issue and have been gone since then,´ 9ilakati said.
He was then asked what they were doing to ensure that the bread and butter issues affecting the daily lives of civil servants were engaged upon by the employer and the PS8s.
9ilakati said they would convene a meeting on Monday, to address the issue as they were also waiting for government to convene a sitting of the -N).
He also expressed an understanding on the impact the delay of the sitting of the -N) had on the civil servants. :hen asked about the conclusion of the allowances in the -N) and the anticipation by civil servants to have them implemented at the soonest convenience, 9ilakati said: “:e understand this and