Navigating The Friction Between Emoluments Commission, Trade Unions Over Civil Servants’ Pay Bargaining – Nyambose
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Misheck Nyambose, MP, has urged the Emoluments Commission to define its remit to trade unions in determining civil servants’ pay and avoid the perception that it is taking over their collective bargaining responsibilities.
Mr. Nyambose said trade unions need to understand that the Commission’s mandate does not infringe on International Labour Organization Convention no. 98 on their bargaining power, in negotiating salaries and conditions of service for their members.
During a courtesy call paid on him by Emoluments Commission Director General, Chembo Mbula, the Minister called on the Commission to engage unions and clearly explain its role in the determination and harmonisation of emoluments in the public and quasi-government sectors to promote better understanding and prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
Mr. Mbula explained that Emoluments Commission was established to determine, harmonise and rationalise salaries, allowances and conditions of service across the public sector, with the aim of addressing significant disparities in remuneration among government-funded institutions.
He said the Commission holds the ultimate authority to set the parameters for public spending on wages and sees to it that the national wage bill remains financially sustainable.
Trade unions had expressed concern that the Commission was overriding their traditional role in collective bargaining on the conditions of service for public service workers.
The Minister also challenged the institution to strengthen their oversight of employers’ compliance with statutory obligations, in the remittance of workers’ pension contributions to Pension schemes.
He stressed that deductions made from employees’ salaries must be remitted to the respective pension schemes within the stipulated time, warning that employers who withhold or delay these contributions put workers’ retirement security at risk.
Mr. Nyambose said it was unacceptable for employees to faithfully contribute towards their retirement throughout their working lives only to discover, upon retirement or when seeking to access their benefits, that the money deducted from their earnings was never remitted.
The minister cited the experience by many employees when the National Pension Scheme 20% partial withdraw was introduced in 2023, as they established that their employers were not remitting their contributions, when they attempted to access their pre-retirement benefits.
He urged the Commission to actively monitor whether employers are fulfilling their pension obligations and raise concerns with the relevant authorities whenever non-compliance is detected.
He said protecting workers equally applies to safeguarding their future, adding that pension contributions are not employers’ money to retain or use at their discretion, but workers’ entitlements that must reach the respective schemes.