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Fin24 reports that a fierce fight is looming at the upcoming public sector wage talks, with unions having put forward a list of demands that includes a 10% wage increase across the board.
Rallied by sharp increases in living costs, union members will square off against a cash-strapped government that has little room to manoeuvre. The latest round of public service wage negotiations is now in its early stages, and the agreed-upon rate of increases will be applied from April retrospectively to the end of March next year. The negotiations will end once a majority of unions negotiating at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council accept an offer from government. Labour's consolidated demands for the 2022/23 wage talks include a demand for a 10% wage increase regardless of employee level of experience, a R2,500 increase in the housing allowance, and a "disaster salary" of 12% of basic salaries in the case of potential future disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic. This time around with the cost of living rising exponentially, the unions are firm in their resolve for a considerable increase above the inflation rate of 5.9% in what is envisaged to be a single year deal. Spokesperson for the Public Servants Association (PSA), Reuben Maleka, indicated: "Current inflation is about 6%, and already Moody's predictions are that inflation will rise [to] about 8%. Take fuel price, food and transport costs for workers. In fact, we are very economical to demand even 10%." Department of Public Service and Administration spokesperson Moses Mushi indicated that, while government would not comment immediately on the details of the wage demands, it had every intention of negotiating in the interests of keeping the broader economy stable.
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24 (subscriber access only)
Read too, Unions demand 10% increase in public sector wages, setting the stage for a bitter battle, at Daily Maverick
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page