Sadtu to approach ConCourt over halted salary increases

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) says it will approach the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) after the Labour Appeal Court dismissed an application by public service unions to compel government to implement the third year of salary increases.

Sadtu announced that it would appeal the latest judgment following its national executive committee (NEC) meeting held over the weekend.

“The Labour Appeal Court ruled that clause 3.3 of resolution 1 of 2018 was unlawful and unenforceable.

“The NEC noted the judgment, but criticised the fact that the court did not look at alternatives that had been put forward by labour such as the incremental implementation of the resolution.

“The NEC noted the untold negative effects the ruling would have on public servants and collective bargaining. The NEC resolved to appeal the ruling at the ConCourt.

READ MORE: No work, no pay for striking teachers, warns govt

“Further, the NEC resolved to work together with other public unions that are not affiliated to Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] and communities in the fight for the protection of the freedom of association which encompasses the right to collective bargaining and other human rights,” the union said.

In October, government proposed a growth in the public sector wage bill of 1.8% in the current year and an average annual growth of 0.8% over the 2021 medium-term expenditure framework period.

The third year of the 2018 public sector wage bill will not be implemented. The budget further proposes a wage freeze over the next three years.

“Additional options to be explored include harmonising the allowances and benefits available to public servants, reconsidering pay progression rules and reviewing occupation-specific dispensations,” the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) indicated.

Additional reporting from Rorisang Kgosana

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.