Three union federations – Cosatu, Fedusa and Saftu – are demanding that the government return to the negotiating table to revise the current offer of a 10% wage hike for public servants they put on the table.
Public servants have given the government seven days to respond to the memorandum of demand. Earlier this month, wage negotiations in the public sector deadlocked with the unions opting for individual dispute resolution processes.
Trade unions affiliated to Fedusa, Saftu and Cosatu were afforded certificates of non-resolution while teacher union Sadtu accepted the wage offer. Fedusa Vice President: Public Sector, Dr Lufuno Mulaudzi, said workers want a 10% wage increment.
“We are here as a united force against our arrogant government. We are here as a united force to make sure that this government gives us 10%. We are not backing down on the 10%. [Minister Nxesi] Thulas was a unionist and he should know better.
“We need 10%. We are also appealing to the President of the country who is a former unionist to listen to the workers of this country. What they are doing is to pursue the agenda of the capitalist. We can’t tolerate it anymore”.
SAFTU President, Ruth Ntlokotse said more workers need to be mobilised and that their unity in this process is crucial and fundamental especially because she is unhappy about what was taking place at the wage negotiations at the public sector bargaining council.
“We are saying let’s go and mobilise more workers who are not here today. We saw the private sector employer doing it as it is. The way things are happening here, we should not take them for granted.
“We are saying this (is an ) attack on the centralised bargaining council, we need to defend the centralised bargaining council. We saw with the agreement of 2018 when the so-called government that claims to care for the government reneged.
“We are going to protect the bargaining council because that is the platform where workers are able to discuss their social conditions in unison. We are saying this 3% is not applicable especially with the rising cost of living.
“We are saying 10% is the way to go. We are appealing to the government to come back to the collective bargaining table”.
Cosatu has vowed to intensify demonstrations if the workers’ demands are not met. The government is offering a non-pensionable cash allowance of R1000 and a 3% pensionable increase across the board.
The Department of Public Service and Administration spokesperson, Moses Mushi said the no work no pay principle will be applied on the striking workers, adding that while protest actions are protected by the Labour Relations Act, employees who are essential services workers, are prohibited from protest action during working hours.
“Government provided departments with guidelines to apply the principle of no work no pay to manage those public servants who intend to participate in the strike action during working hours. The principle of no work no pay will apply for absence for a full day as well as part of a working day,” said Mushi
