Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze
The Joint Mass Meeting of PSUs on Monday 6th October 2025 resolved to host a protest march on the Government of Eswatini to call for the implementation of the salary review and jobs grading report that has been submitted by the joint consultancy of Umelusi and Emergency Consultancies (The Consultant) on Wednesday 8th October 2025.
The joint mass meeting of the PSUs first received a report from the Secretariat of the unions on what transpired at the Joint Negotiations Forum (JNF) on Friday 03 October 2025. According to the report the government and the unions were in agreement that the Scenario 3 be utilised to implement the salary review for all public service workers. According to the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Mayibongwe Masangane, the other four scenarios did not recommend any money to workers in the A ,B,C and D pay grades. They only recommended increment for workers in the E and F paygrades.
It was further reported by the Secretary General of the Swaziland National Government Accountants Personnel (SNAGAP) Phumzile Masilela that during the JNF of Friday 3 October 2025 the government had also informed the PSUs that they didn't have the full funds (E1.64Billion) to implement the salary review. They only had E500M and were proposing that PSUs accept to negotiate implementation within the E500M and then implementation of other necessities in the 2026/27 financial year. This was a repetitions of sentiments by finance Minister Neal Rijkernbeg made earlier that the country would find it difficult to afford anything beyond the E500Million already budgeted.
The input from members upon receiving the report was such that the on Wednesday workers would all converge in Mbabane. This will coincide with the JNF hat will take place at the Ministry of Public Service. Members also voiced their disapproval of the staggered implementation of the review involving the E500M that was dangled by the government instead of the full implementation of the review together with allowances. Further it was further the input from members that the public service members need to resist being divided where the workers in the lower grades will get low or no increment and the higher grades workers will get higher increments when the needs for all workers are the same and the economy is tough on all of them.
There were workers who called for the drawing of a scenario where the E500M can be accepted ,salaries increased in October with no backpay and other issues be negotiated for future implementation.
The mass meeting ended by resolving to converge in Mbabane on Wednesday 8th October to show workers power against the government and more details of travel arrangement to be relayed later by the leadership.
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