The increase in workers’ salaries, as promised by the Beninese executive since 15 December 2021, is gradually becoming effective. Since Tuesday 6 December, the three-way talks between the government, trade unions and employers have made it possible to take an important step and adopt a formula that “impacts all workers”. In the end, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday 7 December endorsed a number of proposals.
Good news for Beninese state employees! The government has just increased the salaries of all public sector employees. From the driver of administrative vehicles to the highest salary collectors, an increase of between 3 and 66% is applied, depending on the case. The said revaluation, which comes into force this December, combines “social justice and the will to take into account all workers”, the government explains.
Ainsi, le Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel Garanti (SMIG) passe à 52.000FCFA à compter du 1er janvier 2023 comme convenu à la rencontre du 26 avril dernier entre gouvernement syndicat et patronat. En outre, les Aspirants aux Métiers d’Enseignants (AME) seront payés 11mois sur 12 ; contre 9mois actuellement
« This translates into a uniform index increase for all and differentiated additional salaries, thus favouring the most modest » As a result, it will be noted that « lthe scales of increase are high at the beginning of the career and follow a degressive logic towards the middle and end of the career », the executive continues. It should be noted that these measures were approved by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday 7 December. Afro-impact offers you the details of this revalorisation, extracted from the minutes of the said council of ministers.
Variable levels of increase
For example, an administrative vehicle driver starting his or her career will see a 66% increase in salary. Depending on whether they are at the beginning, middle or end of their career, health service maintenance workers will see an increase of between 56% and 32% of their current net income, midwives will see an increase of between 51% and 29%, registered nurses will see an increase of between 34% and 22%, health inspectors will see an increase of between 27% and 15%, laboratory technicians will see an increase of between 28% and 16%, and doctors will see an increase of between 11% and 10% of their current net income.
Under the same conditions, the assistant teacher will have an increase from 49 to 33%, the teacher 34 to 12%, the student teacher 34 to 25%, the pedagogical advisor 16 to 12% and the inspector 12 to 10%. As for assistant or certified teachers in high schools and colleges, they will see an increase from 25 to 11% and from 22 to 10% respectively. The secondary school pedagogical advisor will have an increase from 22% to 11%, while the student teacher will see an increase from 26% to 16%, the student assistant teacher 29% and the technical education teacher 31%.
For the 2nd and 1st class police officer, the revalorisation goes from 34% to 23%, the junior non-commissioned officer 23% to 16%, the senior non-commissioned officer 18% to 12% and the junior officer 21% to 10%. The non-commissioned officer will see an increase from 46% to 22%, the junior non-commissioned officer 23% to 16% and the junior officer 21% to 10%.
The highest salaries in all categories will see increases of between 12 and 3%.
These measures come into force this December 2022 and will represent, from the first year of application, a financial effort of more than CFAF 60 billion on the wage bill.
It should be noted that they will have an effect on pensions, including for current pensioners who will benefit from the implications of the increase in the index point.
Moreover, with particular regard to aspiring teachers, it was decided, among other advantages, to grant them 11 months’ remuneration instead of 9 at present, i.e. an additional annual financial effort of 6.5 billion CFA francs, and to give them the possibility, in the long run, of making a career as a State employee.
Finally, following discussions with employers, it was decided to set the Guaranteed Interprofessional Minimum Wage (SMIG) at 52,000 CFA francs starting on 1 January 2023, as opposed to the current 40,000 CFA francs, i.e. a 30% increase. Seizing this opportunity, the government invites the private sector to look favourably at the issue of upgrading the salaries of its employees.