OUTCOME OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATIONS TEAM (GNT) AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS (PSUs) ON THE IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES OF THE SALARY REVIEW, 2025.
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In August 2024, Government initiated a salary review exercise whose primary purpose was to evaluate if the salaries of employees within the civil service are fair, competitive and aligned with their performance and motivational for a productive workforce.
This exercise was also intended to help address potential pay discrepancies and promote equitable pay practices by comparing salaries of employees in the civil service against industry standards and market rates for similar roles. In a nutshell, the Salary Review Project was aimed at modernizing, aligning and strengthening the public service remuneration framework.
For purposes of accomplishing this objective, Government engaged a Consultant, being Emergence Human Capital T/A Emergence Growth, a Human Resource and Remuneration Consulting firm in Africa, partnering with Umelusi Partners which is a local Consultancy firm owned by emaSwati.
The salary review exercise started on the 26th August, 2024 and was projected to be completed on the 30th June, 2025. The salary review exercise was broken down into time bound stages such as profiling of all positions in the civil service, validation of job profiles, job harmonization, signing-off of job profiles, job evaluation, remuneration audit, salary benchmark, designing of pay scales, designing a remuneration policy/strategy, developing a policy on allowances, designing an implementation framework, and reporting.
Following the submission of the final draft Salary Review Report by the Consultants on Monday the 29th September, 2025 the Government Negotiations Team (GNT) together with the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Nursing Association (SNA) and Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP) herein collectively referred to as PSU’s, commenced negotiations on the implementation modalities of the Salary Review Report recommendations.
Extensive negotiations were held on various days starting from the 3rd October running through till Wednesday the 15th October, 2025. It is pleasing to report that the final result of the negotiations has been a positive one in that Government and the social partners (PSUs) have succeeded to sign a Collective Agreement detailing the implementation modalities of the Salary Review, in a staggered manner beginning October, 2025.
The highlights of the agreement, which was signed yesterday evening, are as follows:
Part 1: Scenario for Implementation
1. The parties agreed to implement Scenario No. 3 as recommended by the Consultant on the Scenarios contained in the Salary Review report.
Part 2: Implementation modalities
2. Government commits to fully implement (i.e. 100% implementation) of all the recommended salary adjustments that are contained in Scenario 3 of the Salary Review report, starting from the October, 2025 payday, backdated to April, 2025.
3. Government commits to pay 15% of the 6 moths back-pay (1st April, 2025 to 30th September, 2025) of the recommended salary adjustments as contained in Scenario 3 on the October 2025 pay day. The 85% remaining back-pay balances shall be paid during the first month (July, 2026) of the second quarter of the Financial Year 2026/2027).
4. In respect of salary Grades or Bands that do not have any recommended upward adjustment and those that have been downgraded as per the recommendations of the Salary Review report, the parties have agreed that a once-off payment, calculated at 5% of an annual basic salary, be paid to these workers in October, 2025.
5. Salary Bands A and B will transition on a Notch-to-Notch basis, meaning employees will move directly from their current Notch in the old grade to the corresponding Notch in the new grade structure.
6. In respect of Salary Bands C to F, all employees will transition from their current Notches to Notch 1 of the new grade structure as per the recommendations of the Salary Review Report.
Allowances
7. The revised Housing Allowance as per the Salary Review report will be implemented in full for Salary Bands A and B, respectively, save for Salary Bands C up to F in respect of which Housing Allowance has been deferred for Full implementation during the first month of the second quarter (July, 2026) of the Financial Year 2026/27, backdated to October, 2025.
8. Bus fare allowances as revised in accordance with the Salary Review Report will be implemented effective October, 2025.
9. All other remaining consequential allowances as recommended by the Consultant, will be implemented during the the first month of the second quarter (July, 2026) of the Financial Year 2026/27.
Bilaterals
10. The housing issue pertaining to workers who are stationed in Government Farms and Projects has been referred to bilateral negotiations between the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) and NAPSAWU for further consideration and resolution. This issue will be among the priority issues in these bilaterals.
11. All other consequential allowances that require sectoral attention will be dealt with at Bilateral level between the Government Negotiations Team and that respective Public Sector Union.
Government and the PSUs have further agreed that this agreement shall be binding upon all parties and that it should be registered with the Industrial Court in accordance with the legal requirements for all Collective Agreements signed between workers and Employers as required by the Industrial Relations Act, No. 1 of 2000 (as amended).
On behalf of Cabinet and His Majesty’s Government, I take this opportunity to applaud our social partners (PSUs), all members of the Government Negotiations Team (GNT), the Consultants, all members of Staff both within and outside the Ministry of Public Service who have worked tirelessly in order to get us to this resounding settlement of this matter.
Repeating the words we made when we announced the settlement of the issue of Phase II, we do hope that the conclusion of negotiations on the implementation of the Salary Review will be acceptable and be impactful to all Civil Servants, including their families.
Issued by the Minister of Public Service.
Hon. Mabulala Maseko (MP)
16th October, 2025