Civil servants get 12% pay hike

Government has effected a 12 percent average increase on civil servant salaries with top grade earning an additional K1.6 million and the lowest getting an extra K210 000 per year.

A memo from the Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD) dated August 11 2021 indicates that the highest grade in the civil service, Grade A, only has the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet whose annual salary has risen to K38 million to K36.4 million.

In Grade R, which is the lowest, the least paid staff will be pocketing around K1.6 million per annum from about K1.4 million. This category comprises unskilled employees.

The memo, signed by Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development Blessings Chilabade, states that the salary revision comes after consultations with the Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) and are effective from July 1 2021.

Earlier, government announced it would effect a 10 percent increase in the 2021-2022 National Budget, but CSTU protested, demanding 12 percent and warning it would hold a sit-in if there was no adherence.

In an interview yesterday, CSTU acting general secretary Mabvuto Kawonga commended government for the pay rise.

He said: “We are pleased that our negotiations have achieved this 12 percent adjustment which is much better than what was being offered at first.”

The new adjustment puts government wage bill at K502 billion which is about 25 percent of the 2021/22 budget.