Windhoek – Government yesterday appealed to the leadership of the Namibian National Teachers Union (Nantu) to exhaust all available avenues to resolve teachers’ salaries increments amicably – amidst teachers’ threats to drag government to conciliation.
This came after the union on Monday gave government until next week Monday to review its offer of a five percent salary increase for teachers.
Addressing the press yesterday, Secretary to Cabinet George Simataa said it will be premature to engage in confrontation in spite of efforts government has made to accommodate a reasonable salary and benefit adjustment in the current economic environment.
“It is, therefore, requested that Nantu consider government’s offer already accepted by the majority of staff members through their recognised union Namibia Public Worker’s Union, Napwu,” Simataa said.
For the 2016/2017 financial year government has offered a 10 percent salary increment for grades 15 to 13, five percent for grade 12 to five and four percent for grades four to one A.
Additionally, government has also offered nine percent in housing allowance for all staff, eight percent in housing allowance for the management cadres and ten percent in the home owners’ scheme for staff members
However, Nantu is demanding an adjustment of either six percent plus the housing benefit improvement of seven percent without adjustment to the housing benefits for the said groups.
Nantu secretary general Basilius Haingura on Monday said “failure to this a formal dispute of interest will be referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner for conciliation”.
On Monday morning Nantu and the public servants’ representative, Napwu, met with Vice-President Dr Nicky Iyambo to consult on the salary increment for all employees in the education sector for the financial years of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
Haingura said the negotiation committee could not reach consensus, simply because a government team still maintain their position of five percent.
But Simataa yesterday said Nantu was on several occasions informed of the multiple and serious financial challenges that are compounded by the result of, among others, the prolonged drought, high unemployment rate and the need for mass land services in the country.
He said government has demonstrated the willingness to resolve the problem by involving the vice-president Iyambo in the matter.
“Government does simply not have enough money to cover the demand by Nantu due to other pressing needs,” Simataa said.
At the press conference on Monday, Haingura urged union members to exercise patience, saying the process required following prescribed procedure before further steps are taken.
“You are also urged to remain united and focused and not to allow the external forces to influence you or intimidate you,” he stressed.
He said all meetings regarding negotiations will be coordinated from the office of the secretary general via existing structures countrywide.
“Is high time that we are not taken for a ride,” he added.