Maseru, Feb.12—Coalition of Lesotho Public Employees (COLEPE) wants the government to include the review of the employee’s salary structure and implement Grade A salary to increase to Grade C in the 2026/27 budget allocation to be presented on Wednesday next week
COLEPE says the government should consider removing Notch limit across all grades saying employer’s Pension Fund contribution should be increased from 5% to 10%.
It anticipates that government should increase Mountain allowance to M3,000.00 and introduce hardship differential salary for hard-to-reach area at 100%.
Moreover, COLEPE wants government to renovate dilapidated infrastructure or provide alternative quality infrastructures such as classrooms, police stations, health facilitates and general government offices as well as constantly provide essential resources to enable quality service delivery in the public Sector.
Furthermore, COLEPE has noted that the current 11th administration upon taking the baton, Prime Minister Matekane signed a commitment with COLEPE on February 2023 to pave away for social dialogue, address poor working conditions, non-availability of resources as well as low salaries.
“Three years since the commitment, marginal progress made with registration of Public Service Bargaining Council(PSCBC) although negotiations and establishment of secretariat have not materialized”, it states.
It adds that workers continue to struggle with poor working conditions and non-availability of resources and grade A and B civil servants barely making ends meet as the extremely low salary of M2,691.00 fails to cater for transport, food, school fees and other basic needs.
Meanwhile COLEPE highlights that the analysis shows that from 2012 to date public servants have lost 35.6% forgone cost of living.
COLEPE remains committed to work with government to address poor services, corruption and absenteeism in the Public Sector as well as to improve employment relations.
COLEPE is a public sector advocacy group comprising of Members from Lesotho Nursing and Midwifery Organisation (LeNMO), Lesotho Public Employees Union (LEPEU), Lesotho Police Staff Association (LEPOSA), Lesotho Association of Teachers (LAT), Lesotho School Principal Association (LESPA) and Qiloane Nursing Staff Union (QINUSU) representing Health Sector, General Public Sector, Teaching Sector and Security Sector.
Ends/AT/BM