By Mbatjiua Ngavirue GOBABIS Municipal employees in Gobabis have expressed mixed feelings over the 5% salary agreement they signed with the municipality last week, saying it fell well short of their initial demand of 10%. Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) branch chairperson Frederick Ueitele said the two parties carried out the wage negotiations in good spirit, describing the agreement as “better than nothing”. A directive from the Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development (MRLGH) restricting municipalities countrywide from granting wage increases higher than 5%, limited the manoeuvring space of the Gobabis municipality. Ueitele said the union had hoped for a better increase than 5%, since municipal employees last received an increment in 2005/6. “Our problem as a union is that a directive from the ministry restricted the municipality from giving more than 5%, but should this happen in the future, we will have to engage the ministry directly,” he said. On top of the 5% wage and salary increase, the council also granted employees the traditional annual one notch promotion on the salary scale. Following an earlier ministry directive, municipalities have changed to the Patterson grading system requiring a period of adjustment for both employers and employees. In terms of the new grading system, for example, some employees had reached the top salary notch of their grade. These employees, in the so-called “red circle” category received an N$100-a-month travel allowance instead of the annual one notch promotion. Other employees had to remain satisfied with a N$60-a-month travel allowance. According to Ueitele, the ministry has already recommended that all municipal employees countrywide receive a monthly travel allowance of N$300. Municipalities have however not yet implemented the decision since it requires a change in the conditions of employment to accommodate the change. Heads of departments and the chief executive received no travel allowance since they benefit from a vehicle scheme. Ueitele, branch organiser Richard Madi and branch organiser Moses Cloete signed on behalf of Napwu, while mayor Platini Katjaoha, chief executive Abraham Dawids and another senior official signed for the municipality.