We don’t have money - PMTeachers’ unions are not buying government’s reasons for the 5% increment offered for the teachers for this financial year saying government spends recklessly. Nantu says they will consider a countrywide strike Teachers’ unions are not buying government’s reasons for the 5% increment offered for the teachers for this financial year saying government spends recklessly. The Office of the Prime Minister this week pleaded with teachers to accept the salary increments offered by government, following threats by the Namibian National Teachers Union (Nantu) to stage a countrywide strike, as they are demanding an 8% rejecting government’s proposed 5%. A certificate of unresolved dispute after salary talks between Nantu and government had reached a deadlock, was issued on Monday. Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the growth projections for Namibia’s economy have been revised downward due to negative developments in the global economy and its less favourable outlook.
She explained that this also impacted the outlook of our economy, resulting in the downward revision of public revenue under the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) and this deteriorated government’s fiscal position.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also reminded teachers of the severe drought faced by the country, a factor both the teachers’ unions, TUN and Nantu recently rejected, saying government continues to spend recklessly despite these challenges.
“We are at the same time facing severe drought. This drought has taken its toll in terms food security, massive crop failures and poor livestock conditions, as well as a critical scarcity in the water supply, threatening supply for both industrial use and human consumption. Under these circumstances, our president in June declared a state of emergency in the country,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She said as a result of the drought, government will have to provide water and livestock support to these communities.
“Faced with these difficult circumstances, the government was compelled to make significant fiscal adjustments under the MTEF in a bid to raise funds needed for drought relief aid,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She said government also has to cater for other challenges which include poverty, unemployment, and the improvement of social safety nets to reach out to the old, the disabled and orphans and vulnerable children.
“The water shortage does not only affect communal households, but it also has an impact on the economy through a shortage in water supply to industries which create jobs. In this regard, significant water infrastructure upgrades are also pressing priorities in order to secure supply to industries and avert disruption of economic activities with the consequences attendant thereto,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
Energy crisis too
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said government is also embarking on the energy-supply infrastructure development in order to secure supplies of energy and to avert the crisis of an energy shortage, which is looming across the whole of SADC.
“All these interventions are competing for public resources which have dwindled significantly on account of a low economic outturn and outlook than initially projected,” she explained.
Remember the unemployed
She said the country is facing serious socioeconomic challenges and the measures adopted by government to deal with them require undivided attention and sufficient resources to make a measureable impact. “Those who have employment have an income through wage and non-wage benefits - benefits that those who are unemployed do not have,” she said.
She said the unemployed require most urgent attention as they are not only more vulnerable, having no income at all, but they also represent an underutilised resource which could otherwise spur the growth of Namibia’s economy and raise the country’s ability to deal with challenges faced.
She said government employees, including teachers, have received significant consideration through annual increments in salaries and benefits over the years, which have resulted in personnel expenditure taking up a significant portion of public revenue.
Government appealed to Nantu and the teaching fraternity to accept the remuneration increase that is offered by government.
Meanwhile, Nantu yesterday announced that when the schools reopen at the end of this month, teachers countrywide will vote on whether to strike
Nantu secretary-general Basilius Haingura said the union was not adjusting its demand for 8%, because it is reasonable and informed by the inflation and continual price increases in commodities as shown by the Namibia consumer price index.
GORDON JOSEPH