Government workers are planning a national strike action after government refused to increase their salaries for 2011 budget year.
Finance and Development Minister Kenneth Mathambo is tomorrow expected to announce that government will not increase civil service salaries following a breakdown in wage negotiations with the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU).
Over the past week, government, through the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), was engaged in salary negotiations with Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions, which represented up to five public sector unions, namely BOPEU, BOSETU, BTU, BLLAHWU AND NALCGPWU.These Unions represent more than 90 000 public servants.
Last week, the negotiations crumbled and already there are reports that public workers may down tools in protest against government’s decision not to accede to their demand for a 13 percent salary hike.
BOFEPUSU disclosed on Friday that negotiations had hit a deadlock. BOFEPUSU had proposed a 27.6 percent inflationary adjustment to civil service salaries. In a bid to strike a compromise, the union, subsequently settled for a lesser 13.8 percent while government insisted on a zero percent increase.
“The Unions, instead of demanding for employees to be awarded the actual inflationary cushion, lowered their demand to half the cumulative inflation of just about 13.8 percent plus a 2.2 salary increase, to bring back employees purchasing parity power to the 2008 salary levels,” states the Union.
“Regrettably, the Employer refused to make a move, offering instead to explain why the economy could not sustain any inflationary increase. Subsequent to many attempts to break the impasse, the Union parties, accepted a request from the Employer side for an adjournment to seek fresh mandate.
Upon return, the Employer assumed her earlier position and maintained that Employees would only receive a Zero increase in the coming financial year. Whereat the unions stated that there was no merit in the Employer’s attitude towards the negotiations and declared a deadlock,” the statement further reads in part.
According to the Union, it has been agreed that, following the deadlock, government and the Union should take some time off as a way of cooling off. However, it is understood that the deadlock has opened gates for the Unions to possibly bring the public service to a stand by agitating for a strike action.
In a separate interview, BOFEPUSU’s general secretary, Andrew Motsamai, would not comment that the Union would launch an industrial action as protest against government for refusing to hike public officer’s salaries.
“I cannot rule that out but because I am the chief negotiator I cannot comment,” said Motsamai.
Motsamai said as the Union there are surprised that government insists on a zero percent salary increase without negotiating.
“If you don’t increase salaries you won’t be able to stimulate the economy and thus giving people buying power,” he stated.
