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A general strike by public service workers like nurses, prison wardens and teachers is on the cards, following South African Trade Unions declaring a deadlock after the last round of negotiations with the Department of Public Services and Administration.
The Public Servants Association (PSA), one of the largest Public-Sector Unions, representing more than 235 000 public sector employees, claims it was left frustrated and utterly disappointed with the “revised” salary offer tabled by the Government as an employer in the recent Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) meeting.
According to PSA, the meeting was scheduled to allow Gov. to table a revised offer on the previous 0%-increase offer, while the PSA tabled a wage demand of over 7%.
The Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu, recently explained that the Government could not afford the increases, making the wage negotiations exceptionally difficult. Mchunu highlighted contributing factors to why the Government could not afford the wage increases, such as the current state of the economy and the impact COVID-19 has had on the world at large.
With the negotiations coming to a deadlock, in a statement, PSA stressed, “The employer’s response was utterly disappointing and is regarded as insult to labour. The offer perceived by the employer as “revised”, is based on a principle of using, amongst others, funds allocated for pay progression, resettlement costs, daily allowances, and encashment of leave to fund a cost-of-living adjustment. The proposal is absurd and amounts to nothing more than “shifting” funds. The employer further proposed a review of all allowances and the leave dispensation of public servants as it believes that there are too many leave categories and allowances for public servants.”
PSA says it was adamant that the Union will not agree to reduce any benefits public servants are currently entitled to. These benefits were achieved through years of intense negotiations. “Labour thus rejected the employer’s offer and jointly indicated that a deadlock has been reached. The dispute resolution processes as per the PSCBC’s constitutional provisions will now be followed.”
It is vital to ensure that this procedure is followed meticulously to avoid delays that could derail the dispute process, bearing in mind, public servants should have received salary increases on 1 April 2021.
The PSA has, in the meantime, advised the Union’s more than 235 000 members to prepare for industrial action to secure a decent salary increase and protect existing, negotiated benefits. Adding fuel to the fire, on Tuesday, 27 April 2021, Mchunu issued a call of action to the South African public, calling individuals and communities to come forward with proposals that might assist in resolving the deadlock between Government and Organised Labour over the current public service wage negotiations.
PSA says it is appalled by tactics deployed by the Minister of Public Service and Administration to gain public sympathy for Government’s quandary related to public servants’ overdue salary increases.
The Union states that it regards the Minister’s invitation to the public to submit proposals on how to break the current deadlock in Public Service wage negotiations as another effort by Government to undermine Public Service collective bargaining processes. Moreover, in a statement, PSA emphasises, “Government is the author of its own demise in this matter and is now requesting the public to get involved and resolve its self-created problem. This is disingenuous and malicious. It was not the public who advised the Government to spend state funds fruitlessly and to fund corruption, or to use public funds for frivolous litigation by subjecting public servants to unwarranted disciplinary action. It was also not the public who approved the irregular appointments of unqualified staff, which led to further wastages, maladministration, and service-delivery collapses. Government must take accountability for its actions and stop involving the public when it needs a scapegoat to avoid answering for the dismal state of the economy.”
On Wednesday, 28 April 2021, Public Servants Association national manager Claude Naicker spoke to Business Day TV. During his interview, he explained there is a 30-day process where conciliation takes place in terms of the Constitutional provisions of the Bargaining Council, and if a solution cannot be found, industrial action by public servants will definitely be on the cards.
With public servants preparing to go on strike, what are your thoughts on the matter?
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3 Responses
The government failed us as workers whilest on the other side millions of rands are being misused to unnecessary things i am referring to these 350 given to south africans instead of creating jobs, we plea our government to adhere to the demands of public servants so as to put something on the table before its getting too late, we r not interested to go on strike. Kungan lento xa thina basebenzi kufuneka siye esitratwen xa sifuna imali yethu kube kuchithwa imali kwizinto ezingenamsebenzi asibizanbga Covid thina or kuzakulunga singavoti as abasebenzi azokuliva urhulumente olulwamvila siluvayo plz.
It is really painful to us as public servants (izicaka) asihoywanga ngurhulumente wethu kanti inkxaso yezinto ezininzi uxhaswa sithi thina zicaka zakhe ininzi imali kwelilizwe kudlalwangayo qha.sihlab”ikhwelo kumqashi izinto zonyukile sibe thina singonyuselwanga mali le 27 yrs ye democracy thina siyivanje ngabantu asiyaz,ngoku sesikhalela naba (X)bethu kanti sizakusokola ngathi asingabelilizwe.
Where were the trade unions when corruption took place. Silence. How May of their members were involved and not charged