Our View: Workers should not be be given a raw deal
Minister of finance, Tito Mboweni, has caused a stir with his announcement of reducing the public sector wage bill during his budget speech last week.
Trade unions are raging about the intended move to drastically cut the exorbitant wage purse in the public sector. This will mean the shedding of jobs of the unions’ members.
When Mboweni first mentioned this wage bill cut intention two years ago, he had hinted that it would target public workers within the ages of 55 to 65 years who are within reach of retirement stage.
That insinuation of his received some positive reactions from individuals within the sector who felt that as long as their full benefits are covered, including medical aid, it was a welcome gesture for them, although some viewed at it sceptically.
Be that as it may, a few years before former provincial premier, DD Mabuza, left the province, he mentioned during one of his interactions with the media that the public wage bill in the province was between 65 per cent and 70 per cent of an institution’s budget, which left little for service delivery. It has impacted severely on service delivery down the line, because it is not about huge salaries for public servants for delivering nothing out of no or little budget.
It has also been pointed out that the targeted group of public servants to be affected by the wage bill cut may create job opportunities for the younger generation. My question to that move is: would that contribute to the wage bill cut or will the public sector be trimmed down to acceptable figures?
I welcome the open discussions in which the likes of Cosatu are engaging to find an amicable solution to this impending problem. Whatever happens, workers should not be be given a raw deal. But, at the same time, poor communities should receive their fair share of services at all times.
The time to act is now.
