Mist over civil servants pay hike

With Parliament in session to debate and pass the estimated K900 billion (US$2.1 billion) 2015/16 National Budget, the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) says it is not sure whether government is going to increase civil servants salaries.

GNT chairperson Ben Botolo said he is not sure about the pay rise as has been the case in most budgets in the past as his team is only mandated to mediate on negotiations with civil servants.
He said the Ministry of Finance has the mandate to approve or disapprove the request civil servants are advancing because it is the one which knows whether there is money for salary increment.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) general secretary Dalitso Njolomole said he is not aware if government will increase salaries for government workers although he expressed optimism that something fruitful will come out of the budget.
According to the figures presented in the circular dated October 14 2014 from the Department of Human Resource Management and Development, the 2014/15 National Budget gave some senior civil servants 70 percent against junior officers who got the minimum of 35 percent.