23 Feb 2021

The deferment of salary increment for the first part of 2020 was not a violation of a parliamentary resolution. Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu said it would have been a violation if government had refused to pay.

“Let me further inform that the two-year negotiated agreement on salary adjustments for the year 2019/20 and 2020/21 between the government as the employer and public service trade unions had a provision that permitted parties to amend the agreement, provided that they consent to such an amendment,” he said.

He said it was on the basis of the provision that government consulted with public service trade unions on her intention to defer the salary increment for a period of up to six  months due to the adverse impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy.     

He noted that agreements on the deferment of implementation of the salary increments for 2020/2021 were reached with trade unions in April and August 2020.

Palapye Member of Parliament, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi had asked the  minister whether government had paid increment public servants for the year 2021 promptly without any delay. ENDS