After seven years of not receiving any salary increment, civil servants have received tangible reprieve after government and union representatives agreed to a 3 per cent increment, effective 01 April 2022.

Announcing the government’s decision at a signing ceremony held at State House on Thursday, Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) general secretary, Petrus Nevonga, said Government has agreed to increase civil servants’ basic salary with 3 per cent, 11 per cent on housing allowance to those below management and 14 per cent on transport allowance.

Nevonga said this agreement has come after a long struggle of negotiations since 2021.

Central Government was estimated to have 108 875 employees by December 2021, while 43 794 public servants voted in favour of an industrial strike, after the government reaffirmed its position that there was just not enough money to pay raises for public service employees.

Nevonga said the increments will cost Government N.dollars 924 million to attend to the plight of civil servants, noting that Government had only agreed to N.dollars 334 million, which was not enough to award salary increments and respond to the higher cost of living experienced by civil servants.

Public servants demanded a 9 per cent increase on their basic salary and housing benefit, as well as a 10 per cent hike in their transport benefit, which could have cost the government N.dollars 3.5 billion.

“The government was able to reconsider its position to attend to the plight of civil servants. We look at the figure and the aim is to find a solution to the dispute while bearing in mind the inflation,” Nevonga noted.

He said reaching the agreement was driven by President Hage Geingob, who cancelled his State visit to Jamaica to attend to this internal matter.

Speaking at the same event, Secretary to Cabinet, George Simataa, said the negotiations were not easy and the government was in a tough position, taking into account the economic situation, however they managed to come to an agreement with the unions.

“A strike is not a favourable situation for our country and as a responsible leadership in Government, we consulted heavily with the Head of State who gave us guidance and we agreed to N.dollars 924 million,” he noted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency