The Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) has threatened to take tough action against government if their call for salary increases continues to fall on deaf ears. This the TUN stated last week during a media briefing to address the issue of long overdue salary adjustments in the public sector.
“We said then and we repeat it here today that should government fail to effect meaningful salary adjustments for civil servants this year, we shall resort to measures that will not be pleasurable for government and the country at large,” said TUN Secretary General Mahongora Kavihuha.
According to Kavihuha, civil servants have been without a salary raise for over seven years now while the standard of living in the country has skyrocketed.
“The conclusion that can be drawn from the attitude that government has adopted is this that they are too far removed from the daily realities on the ground and they need to be brought down to see it,” Kavihuha said.
He emphasised trade unions and all the progressive civil society organisations should stand together and “do the right thing” by fighting for decent wages for civil servants. The TUN SG said civil servants bore the brunt of shouldering the financial burden of 1.6 million poverty-stricken Namibians.
Kavihuha said unions had received many calls from civil servants complaining about not receiving their tax returns for the past three years or more. Kavihuha said he had inquired with the ministry but had not received any acknowledgement.
Responding to questions from this publication, finance ministry spokesperson Wilson Shikoto said the ministry received the TUN letter and would revert to the union in due course.
Meanwhile, in his mid-term budget review speech, finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi stressed government intends to tighten the noose on unnecessary expenditure while also keeping down the rampant public wage bill, which he said gobbles up over 50% of public expenditure.
“I would like to extend specific gratitude to trade unions and indeed all civil servants for heeding our call and keeping their belts tightened. We still plead with them to maintain patience, especially in the next fiscal year, which promises to be more difficult, so we allow the economy to recover more firmly,” Shiimi said at the time. -mndjavera@nepc.com.na