MBABANE:Lot Vilakati,the Secretary General of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers(SNAT) says, Government is paying new teachers only four thousand five hundred Rands(R4,500.00),he called for the speedy conclusion of the recently launched salary review process.
The Secretary General was speaking to this Swaziland News on Wednesday shortly after the Public Sector Unions(PSUs) signed a four percent(4%) Cost of Living Adjustment(COLA) agreement with Government,the signing ceremony was held in Mbabane.
“It’s true that we signed for 4% Cost of Living Adjustment and this comes after lengthy negotiations between the Government and unions. Government first presented 3% but we ended-up agreeing on 4%. We were actually demanding 7% but that’s what normal happen in negotiations, you negotiate and agree”, he said.
When asked by editor Zweli Martin Dlamini to clarify between a Cost of Living Adjustment(COLA) and a “salary increment including what unions are doing to negotiate better salaries for civil servants”, Vilakati confirmed that, most civil servants were financially struggling as salaries remain stagnant.
“New teachers are paid R4,500.00 by Government and we want this to change.A new qualified teacher with a Degree must at least be paid R16,000.00,in South Africa it’s R26,000.00. So we are waiting for the salary review exercise launched by Government to be completed next year so we can negotiate based on the recommendations of the Consultant”, said the SNAT Secretary General.
SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati.