PUBLIC sector unions (PSUs) have expressed deep disappointment and frustration over government’s handling of the long-awaited salary review, saying the implementation process is confusing and lacks transparency.
After a week of anxious waiting, civil servants began receiving their salaries yesterday following government’s announcement that the pay date had been shifted to October 27.
The delay had been attributed to ongoing calculations linked to the salary review exercise, which government had promised would bring long-overdue financial relief to its employees.
However, when the salaries finally came through, many workers were left disheartened, claiming there was little to no change in their pay.
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The country’s major civil service unions: Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), National Public Services and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), and the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP) jointly voiced their dissatisfaction.
They accused government of failing to follow due process by not issuing an establishment circular prior to the payment of salaries.
An establishment circular, according to the unions, is a vital document that outlines the salary structures, grades, and expected increments for each category of civil servant.
Without it, they claimed, workers were left in the dark about how much they were supposed to receive, making it impossible to verify the accuracy of their payments.
NAPSAWU acting Secretary General Msimeto Malindzisa said the situation caused confusion among members, many of whom were uncertain about whether their salaries were correctly calculated.
“This whole thing is confusing to our members. Some did not even receive backpay, while others saw no increment at all. We are aggrieved, and are taking their complaints one by one so that we can present them to the ministry. Honestly, government did not do things right,” he alleged.
Malindzisa claimed that the salary review felt meaningless to most civil servants.
“This salary review is as good as nothing. Government should have issued the establishment circular to guide us on what to expect. Right now, even I am confused.
Our members are restless, and we fear this confusion might escalate if nothing is done. We urge government to sit down with us and clarify this matter,” said Malindzisa.
“Our members deserve to know exactly what they are being paid and why. Anything less is disrespectful to the workers who keep this country running,” he added.
On that note, SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati said teachers were also dissatisfied with the way government handled the pay pertaining to the review.
“Civil servants are not happy at all. Where is the establishment circular that should have been issued before implementation? It would have helped us know how much to expect. For now, we will just take this as a gift, not a proper salary review. We are actually in the dark; government just gave us what they wanted,” Vilakati said.
Vilakati further noted that the delayed payment disrupted normal operations within schools, as many teachers waited for their salaries before reporting for duty.
“Some teachers did not even go to work because everything was delayed. “We received our salaries late, some after lunch, which was very disappointing given how long we had already waited,” he explained.
SNAGAP also weighed in, describing the outcome as “disheartening.” SNAGAP Secretary General Phumzile Masilela said the partial payments made by government were far below expectations, despite earlier assurances that the increments would be significant.
“Yes, we had agreed to a phased payment system. But this is not what we anticipated. The money is meagre, especially after the long wait. We are receiving numerous complaints from our members, this is very disappointing,” she said.
Masilela said many government accountants, who had expected clarity and fairness in the implementation, were left feeling undervalued and demotivated.
Similarly, SWADNU expressed relief that the salaries were finally paid, but frustration over the lack of proper communication. Secretary General Mayibongwe Masangane said although government fulfiled its promise to pay by the 27th, the process was handled poorly.
“We appreciate that government has paid, but they should have accompanied the payments with an establishment circular. Right now, we are in the dark. We honestly blame government for this confusion. It has created unnecessary tension among civil servants,” Masangane said.
Reports also indicated that members of the uniformed forces experienced delays earlier in the week after the Treasury Department struggled to process their October salaries due to what officials described as system limitations.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Mthunzi Shabangu has acknowledged the delay in issuing the establishment circular, attributing it to the demanding schedule involved in implementing the salary review for civil servants.
Shabangu explained that the circular had now been released, although the process was affected by the intense workload and time constraints faced by government.
“We have just issued the circular and it is now available. It was delayed due to the heavy workload and the tight schedule.
“The process was not as smooth as expected, which disrupted the normal flow of operations,” he said. Shabangu admitted that the ministry did not facilitate the process properly because of the pressure to ensure that civil servants received their salaries on the scheduled date.
He further noted that, ideally, the circular should have been issued earlier.
However, the ministry prioritised completing the payroll process before releasing it. “It was impossible to issue the circular earlier since everything was happening under immense pressure. We were racing against time,” Shabangu stated.
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