Independent Media reports that SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke says unions are currently consulting members following government’s recent wage offer of a 1.5% pensionable increase plus R978 per month from April 2021 to March 2022.
Maluleke, who is Cosatu’s chief negotiator at the state wage talks, said consultations had been very difficult as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions. “Our unions are devising other means of meeting their members and also being able to meet the structures, so it’s going a bit slow. We are looking at about 10 to 14 days of this round of consultations, given the fact that we need to adapt to the new way of engaging our members,” Maluleke said. The Public Service Association (PSA) earlier stated that Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu was ill-informed and out of touch with reality about claims that they had walked out of a facilitation process. The PSA's Reuben Maleka said: “The PSA has never walked away from any processes in its more than 100 years of existence. He (Mchunu) must get his facts correctly. We were excluded from the process of facilitation, and if invited we will surely show up and participate. He in fact even proposed a meeting on May 11, 2021, but without any reason cancelled the meeting with the PSA.” Mchunu on Tuesday said he was concerned with the conduct of the PSA in respect of the current wage negotiations.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tarryn-Leigh Solomons at Independent Media
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