Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN) has criticised the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) and the Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu), accusing them of playing with the emotions of public servants by making a mockery of salary negotiations with the government.
The PSUN yesterday said Napwu and Nantu have been in negotiations with the government for salary increases for public servants since February this year.
The proposed increments related to the current financial year, however, minister of finance Iipumbu Shiimi recently announced there would be no increases.
PSUN general secretary Ndjizuvee Haakuria yesterday at a press conference claimed Napwu and Nantu are not being truthful in saying they have been negotiating. He questioned why the unions were negotiating for wage increases for the 2021/22 financial year when the budget has already been tabled.
“Currently the government is busy finalising the budget for tabling somewhere in February for the 2022/23 budget, and since the minister of finance is not aware of negotiations, it equally, we assume, contains no improvement of conditions of service,” he said.
Haakuria said the supposed negotiations between the unions and the government are “mock negotiations”. “We call on our brothers to start real negotiations, or step aside. They have failed the public service for too long. This is not good in the public eye, and is flagrantly shameful,” he said.
Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) secretary general Mahongora Kavihuha said both Napwu and Nantu have lost the trust of public servants. “It is very annoying to publicly tell the people they have written a letter to the government in April, to which the government responded in May, and they kept quiet.
“Now they are blaming the innocent minister of finance, creating the impression they have accepted the government’s main response,” he said.
Kavihuha said the unions entrusted to negotiate salary increases for public servants are incapable of changing the government’s decision, which is why the three public-service unions will not accept a zero increase come 2022.
Napwu secretary general Peter Nevonga defended his efforts, saying: “That is their opinion. Of course I don’t know how they expect to know what we are doing, they are a union, we are a union, but we are representatives of civil servants, and we know our obligations and duties as unions.”
Shiimi in his midterm budget review expressed gratitude to trade unions and civil servants for heeding the government’s call to tighten their belts. He also pleaded with them to be patient until the next fiscal year, which promises to be more difficult to “allow the economy to recover more firmly”.
Napwu and Nantu have not taken kindly to Shiimi’s remarks, saying that he made that statement in bad faith. NEGOTIATIONS Nevonga last week said Shiimi’s statements leave a sour note for the next round of negotiations, which takes place when the parties meet on 29 November.
The union wants a 10% increase in salaries, 10% increase in transport allowances for civil servants below management level, 9% increase in housing allowances, 25% increase in the qualifying amount for housing subsidies, as well as a N$7 per kilometre tariff increase.
The negotiations started on 25 February when the unions submitted their proposals. The government responded to the proposals by saying “state finance is already stretched to safeguard current government expenditure… in order to sustain critical public service jobs and remunerations”.
UNIONISTS On the day of the mid-term budget announcement, secretary general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Job Muniaro accused the minister of undermining the unions’ leadership.
Muniaro questioned why Shiimi went over their heads, knowing that salary increases for public servants are not related to his ministry. “This is dealt with by people who sign negotiating agreements. He is already telling the public he is not going to negotiate,” Muniaro said. The finance ministry did not respond to questions from The Namibian at the time of going to print.
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