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Botswana: Public Service Demand 30 Percent Increment
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
7 April 2008
Posted to the web 7 April 2008
Tumelo Setshogo
The National Organising Committee of the National Collective Bargaining Labour Forum wants, among other things, government to increase civil servants' salaries by 30 percent effective April 1, 2008.
The forum, which is against the recently awarded 15 percent salary increase for public service workers, said they had learnt with shock, of the government's change of heart regarding the commission's purpose, and therefore viewed its appointment as a waste of public funds.
Its demands and sentiments are contained in a petition submitted to Kgatleng District Commissioner Moemedi Letina in Mochudi on Friday.
Letina said she would send the document to the relevant government authorities. In the petition, which was read by the forum chairperson and BOSETU president Eric Ditau, the forum said they are disturbed by government's decision to increase public service salaries by 15 percent "which is different from what the previous commissions, that of Tsa Badiri and De villiers" had recommended.
The petition said that the two commissions (Tsa Badiri and De villiers) recommended that Botswana Public Service Salaries are below the lower quartile, and subsequent 22 percent cumulative erosion of salaries from inflation "but the government ignored this important recommendation".
Disturbed by what they see as government's insensitivity, the forum said: "While the commission fully achieved its mandate of reviewing productivity and came up with strategies of attracting and retaining skilled workers with the effect of increasing competitiveness, government through oblivious and malignant intentions perpetuated by the desire to down-size the public service, paid no attention to such recommendations."
Other recommendations are that government should waive the rule of half inflationary rate increment since the attraction and retention of professionals is urgent, any downsizing of the public service should simultaneously be carried out with the introduction of unemployment benefits.
"Payment of acting allowances should be attached to a minimum of acting period of seven days, scarce skills allowance is paid at the rate of 25 percent of basic salary and government should make decision on all matters referred to ministries with definite time frame of implementation," the forum said in the two-page petition, adding that all matters pertaining to salaries and terms and conditions of service be "put before the national bargaining structure for negotiations".
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Meanwhile, the forum is meeting tomorrow to map the way forward and to find strategies for sustained dialogue with Presidential Affairs Minister Daniel Kwelagobe.
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