Coalition of Public Employees (COLEPE) say they are not surprised that the government has decided to give Public Servants a two percent salary increment.

COLEPE, an alliance of Lesotho Police Staff Association (LEPOSA), Lesotho Public Service Staff Association (LEPSSA), Lesotho Association of Teachers (LAT), Lesotho Teachers Trade Union (LTTU), Lesotho Schools Principal Association (LESPA), Qiloane Nursing Assistants Association (QINUASA) and the Lesotho Nurses Association (LNA).

COLEPE Representative Mr. Letsatsi Ntsibolane said this in an interview on Thursday where he said it is not shocking, indicating that for the longest time, the government has denied meeting with them even after engaging DDPR to intervene.

He indicated that they still have a long journey ahead, saying they are not going to let this lie down, adding that they are going to take the matter further through the Public Conciliation Board and Teachers Conciliation Board.

However, he said that it will be wrong of the government to think that since the budget has been presented, it is done with public servants’ grievances emphasizing that this is just the beginning.

He highlighted that all they were interested in was for the government to avail themselves for negotiations but said that failed dismally.

Earlier COLEPE had threatened to declare a dispute in case the government failed to make room for the negotiations.

COLEPE has been pushing for a salary hike since 2022. They even penned a letter to the then Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro requesting him to ensure that the 2022 / 2023 financial estimates guarantee an increase in their salaries and by not less than 25 percent. It escalated the matter to the current Prime Minister and his government but with no tangible results to date.

Meanwhile, in her budget presentation, Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Rets’elisitsoe Matlanyane had said that the salaries and wages be adjusted by 2% across the board to preserve the take home pay.

She added that to support low-income earners during these trying times, the government shall increase the minimum threshold for income tax to M6,170 with an applicable rate of 20% and a rate of 35 percent shall apply for income brackets above M6,170 adding that tax credit for each individual income earner is increased from M920 to M970 per month.