BL Premium reports that in the midst of dealing with the economic fallout of its battle to curb the spread of Covid-19, the government faces the wrath of 1.3-million public servants after it failed to honour a three-year wage agreement.  

The first batch of public servants, including nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians crucial to the battle with the virus, received their salaries on Wednesday without the increase agreed on in the last leg of the multi-year wage agreement signed in 2018.  Unions said this proved that the state did not value their hard work.  While the government did previously put forward a revised offer of a 4.4% pay increase for some levels of workers, unions rejected it.  Zola Saphetha of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said on Wednesday that they had resolved during a meeting last month to "wage a relentless war" against the government.  He indicated that they were awaiting date for conciliation in respect of their dispute over the matter from the Public Sector Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).  Reuben Maleka of the Public Servants Association (PSA) said they would file court papers on Wednesday, after it became apparent the government would renege on the wage agreement.  Cosatu’s chief negotiator for public sector unions, Mugwena Maluleke, said they would fight for the salary increases through the conciliation and arbitration processes.  The trade union federation has said it would support Nehawu should it elect to down tools over the matter.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (paywall access only)

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page