The Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) has announced that it is awaiting official communication from the government to confirm whether their demands have been considered and incorporated into the newly increased wage bill.
In an interview following the passing of the mid-year revised budget, presented by the Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda, CSTU Secretary General Titha Gomani expressed satisfaction upon learning that the wage bill has been increased by 18%. However, she emphasized that the union is waiting for formal confirmation from the government on what aspects of their demands have been included in the budget.
“We are waiting for official communication from our employer to determine if our demands have been met in the budget, considering the wage bill has been increased,” Gomani stated.
She added that the union has not communicated anything to its members yet, as they are awaiting this formal update. According to Gomani, negotiations with government officials have been ongoing, and she is optimistic that their demands will be accommodated following the wage bill increase.
Among the demands CSTU has been advocating for are salary increments, transport allowances, and leave grants. The union has also engaged the government in discussions regarding salary restructuring. CSTU hopes that these issues will be addressed in light of the increased budget allocation.
“For a long time, civil servants have not been given the attention they deserve, unlike the judiciary, which receives special treatment,” Gomani added.
Efforts to reach the Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda, for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone went unanswered despite several attempts.
During the mid-year budget review meeting, Parliament approved an increase in the national budget from K5.9 trillion to K6.04 trillion.
