Public sector unions picket after deadlock in wage negotiations

Workers in the public sector are picketing across the country on Monday, following a deadlock in wage negotiations with government.

Unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) have taken to the streets after rejecting government’s 3% wage hike across the board.

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The unions – including the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South African (Denosa) – are demanding a 10% increase.

The demonstrations coincide with a two-day conciliation hearing at the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) on the dispute that has been declared.

The unions have urged members to join the planned lunchtime pickets.

The picket comes after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana unilaterally imposed the 3% wage hike in line with Section 5 of the Public Service Act, which allows government to enforce salary increases unilaterally, as long as doing so does not reduce wages and benefits.

Last week, Godongwana’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) unilaterally accommodated the increase.

In its offer, government proposed that employees continue to be paid a non-pensionable cash gratuity, amounting to an average of R1 000 after tax to all employees across salary levels 1 to 12.

This amounts to an average of 4.5% of the R20.5 billon allocated for salaries in the 2022/23 compensation budget.

But the unions say this was not enough and argued that workers would potentially lose about R1 000 of their monthly income.

Members part of the Public Servants Association (PSA), which has 235 000 members, will stage nationwide demonstrations from Thursday.

The PSA, which has 235 000 members, served government with a seven-day strike notice last week.

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