BusinessLive reports that public sector unions have indicated that if necessary they will be mounting a legal challenge this week to force the government to implement a wage increase for public servants in April.
The first batch of April salary payments will be made on Wednesday and the unions said if the government does not stick to the 2018 wage agreement signed by parties in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC), they will resort to the courts. In the 2018 deal, the government agreed to pay employees on levels 1 to 8, comprising general workers and support staff, an increase of CPI plus 1% and levels 9 to 16, made up of higher level staff,CPI plus 0.5%. According to Cosatu chief negotiator Mugwena Maluleke, the government will not be implementing any wage increases, because “we haven’t received any circular from the employer. The dispute is still on the table ... It will be resolved at the dispute level.” Reuben Maleka of the Public Servants Association said: “We haven’t gotten any latest information from the employer. It looks like the employer has not initiated any salary increases. We are taking the matter to court by Tuesday or Wednesday.” Fedusa’s Riefdah Ajam said they were eagerly waiting for salary adjustments this month as per the agreement, but legal teams “are ready to take the government to court should it renege on the agreement.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive
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