BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – Relief, excitement, and a renewed sense of motivation swept across Eswatini’s public service today as the long-awaited Salary Review Implementation Agreement was officially signed between the Government Negotiations Team (GNT) and the country’s major public sector unions.
The landmark agreement sealed on Wednesday evening, October 15, 2025 brings to a close months of intense negotiations over the long-pending salary review, marking a major milestone for thousands of civil servants who have waited years for wage adjustments aligned with modern economic realities.
Represented at the signing were the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Nurses Association (SNA), and the Swaziland National Association of Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP)collectively known as the Public Sector Unions (PSUs).
The Government Negotiations Team (GNT), on behalf of the state, committed to implement Scenario 3 of the Salary Review Report in full, starting from the October 2025 payday, with payments backdated to April 2025.
Historic Commitment to Public Servants
Under the new deal, government will effect 100% of the recommended salary adjustments this month, while 15% of the six-month back pay covering April to September 2025 will also be paid out immediately. The remaining 85% is set to follow in July 2026, during the first month of the second quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year.
Public servants in grades that did not receive upward adjustments or were downgraded will not be left behind. They will receive a once-off compensation equivalent to 5% of their annual basic salary this October.
Allowances Also Revised
In addition to the salary changes, the agreement ensures the full implementation of revised housing and bus fare allowances for lower salary bands (A and B) effective October 2025. Employees in higher bands (C–F) will receive their full housing allowance adjustments in July 2026.
All other consequential allowances recommended by consultants Emergence Human Capital (Emergence Growth), working with Umelusi Partners, will also take effect in July 2026.
E800 Million Implementation Phase
The staggered rollout will initially cost the government around E800 million, out of the E1.643 billion required for full implementation of Scenario 3. The remaining balance of E843 million is scheduled for the following fiscal year.
Fairness, Transparency, and Accountability
According to the agreement, the primary goal of the salary review is to modernize, align, and strengthen the public service remuneration framework, ensuring technical accuracy, equity, and transparency.
An appeals mechanism will be outlined in the forthcoming Establishment Circular, allowing employees to contest grading or placement concerns. Furthermore, both parties agreed that the next salary review will take place in 2030, maintaining the five-year review cycle.
Binding Agreement
The collective agreement is legally binding and will be registered with the Industrial Court, as required under the Industrial Relations Act No. 1 of 2000 (as amended). Should disputes arise, unresolved matters will be escalated to the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC).
A Milestone for Worker Confidence
Union representatives hailed the agreement as a victory for workers’ perseverance and the spirit of dialogue. “This signing restores faith in the negotiation process and ensures that workers are fairly compensated for their contribution to national development,” said one union official shortly after the signing ceremony in Mbabane.
Government sources also emphasized that the agreement represents a balanced approach rewarding workers while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
After years of anticipation and uncertainty, Eswatini’s public servants will finally see tangible improvements in their payslips this month a moment many have described as a victory long overdue.
( Courtesy Pic)
