The six plus one cooperating trade unions (BOPEU, BTU, BOSETU, BONU, BLLAHWU, NALCGPWU & BDU) and government, represented by the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), met on May 9, 2025 to deliberate and agree on the preparations for the negotiations for the financial year 2025/26. They agreed to commence the salary negotiations for 2025/26 financial and other conditions of service on the 20th and conclude by May 26, 2025. However, with parties being unable to find each other, they agreed that the unions should go to their members to consult on offers made by the employer, which trade unions have already rejected. Addressing their members during the ongoing consultations, NALCGPWU (Manual Workers Union) representative Johnson Motshwarakgole did not hold back accusing senior government officials of earning big salaries and neglecting other employees.
Motshwarakgole told the members that they are not asking for salary increase, but rather want their arrears. “Let me explain three things that we failed to agree with government. They say that we should consult with you to agree that we should forget about what is owed to public servants. We agreed that we should not demand salary increases from government, rather that we want them to pay civil servants what they owe them. We don’t want an increase, but payment of what is already due to them,” he said. Motshwarakgole gave an example that someone currently at B1 scale and currently earning P9, 000 is owed in that they should actually be earning P13, 000. He said someone at B4, currently earning P4, 590 should be earning P6, 000. “Government has asked us to come plead with you to erase the debt. We do not have the right and powers to get rid of the debt, it belongs to you. What I am saying is that someone who earns P35, 000.00 at D scale, could be earning P60, 000.00,” he said. He called on the employees to take into consideration that currently there are three White Papers on public service salaries. He said there is E2 scale and above, which is highly secretive that very little is known about, then there is D1 and below, and there is A3 and A2 scales. “The one for E2 and above has been pushed out of the Paterson Structure, because the same money we are told you cannot get, has been given to those at the top. They are enjoying that money and left you with the structure,” he said.
