BL Premium reports that in the latest sign of growing frustrations with its ally the ANC over the non-implementation of wage increases for public servants, union federation Cosatu says it will report SA to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for undermining collective bargaining agreements.  

The government and labour have been at odds since finance minister Tito Mboweni penciled in huge cuts to the public sector wage bill in his budget review in February.  The government later refused to implement the last leg of a three-year pay hike deal signed with public sector employees in 2018.  The matter is now subject to both court and arbitration proceedings.  In a media briefing on Thursday, Cosatu’s general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali called on the government to respect collective bargaining conventions and to comply with ILO conventions.  “The ILO must demand some level of accountability from the SA government,” said Ntshalintshali.  Cosatu first deputy president Mike Shingange pointed out that the last time SA appeared before the ILO was during the apartheid era.  He said Cosatu was pursuing the ILO route because workers felt they were “under attack”.  Ntshalintshali advised that the federation had elected to stage a sit-in at the Union Buildings on 4 December to demand President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response to a memorandum submitted during the national day of action on 7 October.  

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

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