Unions demand improved salary hike

In the meantime they will take 5% Demand 15% as senior public servants overtime allowance

Following the introduction of 15% commuted allowance for senior public officials and 22% salary increment for legislators, councillors and Dikgosi, trade unions have decided to decline the initially agreed five percent salary increase and demand more.

Starting April 1, senior government officials will get a commuted allowance of 15% of their basic salary. According to a Savingram dated March 19, 2024 from Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Gabatlotlane Mogapi, senior officers from E2 and above have not been paid overtime even when engaged in government business after hours.

“It is on the basis of the foregoing that a decision has been made to introduce a commuted overtime allowance of 15% of basic salary. The above applies to executive officers (E2 and above) who are currently not receiving some form of overtime compensation. The overtime allowance is effective April 2023,” read the Savingram.

Furthermore, it says that when calculating arrears from April 2023, where the claimed overtime for certain month is greater than 15% commuted allowance, no arrears will be paid for the specific month. Similarly, it further states that where the overtime claimed is less than 15%, the difference shall be paid as arrears for that month. According to the Savingram, the commuted allowance shall apply and there shall be no other overtime claims outside the commuted allowance.

Members of the five Cooperating Trade Unions (5CTU) have called on their members and the entire civil servants to remain hopeful, resilient in demand for better welfare and conditions of service at a time when the Executive management have used their authority to award themselves huge increments but become conservative when it comes to other categories of employees.

The five unions being the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), the Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU), the Botswana Nurses Union (BONU) and the Botswana Land Board and Local Authorities and Health Workers Union (BLLAHWU), state that they had after their own analysis of the economic performance, proposed to the employer that the five percent be adjusted upward by 10% resulting in a total of 15% across the board adjustment for employees within the five unions’ bargaining unit (A-D bands).

“The proposal by the union is premised on the need to motivate employees, boast workplace morale, the urgent need to cushion employees against inflationary burden which have eroded their purchasing power, and the quest for equity in protection of employees’ welfare. The employer party on the other hand brought to the table the same 5% that was agreed in 2022, which means that the employer proposed a 0% following the review of the economic performance,” said the unions represented by secretary-generals.

According to 5CTU, in coming up with the aggregate15% proposal for salary adjustment, the following factors that support the adjustment were considered; the health of the economy: Our assessment of key economic fundamentals suggests the economy is strong; the significant erosion of real incomes by inflation in 2022/23 and 2023/24, when workers were awarded below inflation salary adjustments that resulted in a cumulative 8.9 percentage points loss of purchasing power; the application of the Principle of Equity and Parity with the Salary Grades E2 and above, who got handsomely awarded a pay increase of 15% under the guise of commuted overtime allowance backdated to April 2023; and equity and parity with the political leaders (Councilors, Members of Parliament and Dikgosi) who got awarded handsomely 22% adjustments of their salaries.

“As the negotiations process continued, the employer party indicated that they do not have any mandate beyond the 5% that was awarded in 2022 which they were re -tabling while the union party indicated that they are prepared for the negotiations.

Owing to the absence of a mandate or fixed mandate by the employer, the process of negotiations could not continue until the employer representatives could refresh their mandate,” the unions stated. The unions state that parties agreed as thus: That the negotiations for the upwards adjustment of the five percent that was agreed as in terms of the 2022 Collective Labour Agreement (CBA) be adjourned for 20 working days for both parties to engage their mandate givers and for the employer to provide some additional information demanded by the union party; that the negotiations will reconvene on May 3, 2024; and that while parties adjourn, the employer should implement the 2022 agreed five percent to salaries of employees that fall within the bargaining unit of the 5CTU (salary bands A-D).

The union leaders are set to traverse the country addressing members. “Note that leaders of the 5CTU would during the adjournment address mass meetings of members across the country to explain what happened and seek further mandate for the continuation of negotiations. This is important because the negotiations are about the welfare and conditions of service of employees, and therefore they must have a say and shape the outcome of the negotiations once they resume on the 3d May 2023,” they stated.

Background to the matter is that in 2022, the 5CTU concluded a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the employer, being thw government through the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).

Within the CBA, clause 2.1.3 provides that “an across the board salary adjustment of five percent for the 2024/2025 financial year effective April 1, 2024, subject to performance of the economy and to be reviewed jointly by the parties.

“In line with clause 2.1.3 of the 2022 CBA as reproduced above at article 22, parties met on 23rd March 2024 to review the performance of the economy with a view to engage in a negotiation process that would result in an upward adjustment of the 5% as agreed and contained in the 2022 CBA.

The joint review of the performance of the economy and the negotiation process commenced on March 23, 2024. Upon commencement of negotiations, the employer posited that the 5% contained in the 2022 CBA was to be subjected to a negotiation process for review, to be downgraded or upgraded, while the union party was adamant that the 5% was already given, that it cannot be withdrawn or negotiated downwards”.