Council workers demand a raise

KEETMANSHOOP municipal workers are demanding a 17 per cent salary increase after the town councillors recently doubled their own monthly allowances.

On top of a 100 per cent increase in their allowances, the councillors will also receive 12 months’ back pay – costing the cash-strapped council more than N$100 000. Neither the councillors’ higher allowances nor the back pay was budgeted for, The Namibian was informed.Currently the municipality spends 45,5 per cent of its total budget on salaries and related staff expenses.The council’s wage bill is equal to 44,7 per cent of its average monthly income.The cash-strapped Keetmanshoop Town Council announced recently that it would have to cut jobs to make ends meet.A source within the municipality’s top management expressed concern, saying the councillors’ higher allowances and any wage increase for workers would exacerbate the town’s financial crisis.The municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, yesterday said the union and council would meet soon to discuss the workers’ demand.The Chairman of the council’s Management Committee, Johannes Coleman, declined to comment.”I do not want to pre-empt things,” he said.According to the municipal source, the council last year refused to increase workers’ salaries, citing financial problems.It did increase their transport and housing benefits the previous year.The Keetmanshoop Town Council recently notified the Ministry of Local Government and the Namibian Public Workers’ Union of possible job cuts, citing an “unusually high salary bill” as one of the reasons for its financial position.The letter to the ministry and the union stated that other cost-cutting measures had been introduced, but that these were not sufficient.It is expected that the entire municipal workforce will be affected by the restructuring process.Neither the councillors’ higher allowances nor the back pay was budgeted for, The Namibian was informed.Currently the municipality spends 45,5 per cent of its total budget on salaries and related staff expenses.The council’s wage bill is equal to 44,7 per cent of its average monthly income.The cash-strapped Keetmanshoop Town Council announced recently that it would have to cut jobs to make ends meet.A source within the municipality’s top management expressed concern, saying the councillors’ higher allowances and any wage increase for workers would exacerbate the town’s financial crisis.The municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, yesterday said the union and council would meet soon to discuss the workers’ demand.The Chairman of the council’s Management Committee, Johannes Coleman, declined to comment.”I do not want to pre-empt things,” he said.According to the municipal source, the council last year refused to increase workers’ salaries, citing financial problems.It did increase their transport and housing benefits the previous year.The Keetmanshoop Town Council recently notified the Ministry of Local Government and the Namibian Public Workers’ Union of possible job cuts, citing an “unusually high salary bill” as one of the reasons for its financial position.The letter to the ministry and the union stated that other cost-cutting measures had been introduced, but that these were not sufficient.It is expected that the entire municipal workforce will be affected by the restructuring process.