About 40 SARS offices across SA closed due to wage strike, with no talks planned to break the impasse

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SARSBL Premium reports that unions striking for above-inflation increases at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) said on Monday that tax collection was among the services affected by their continuing industrial action.

By Monday, the strike had resulted in close to 40 branches being closed across the country. Lwazi Nkolonzi of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) advised: “All services rendered by our members at SARS have been affected. Tax collection, all of them are affected as a result of the strike action.” Nkolonzi further stated: “The closure of SARS offices throughout the country will continue until Sars tables a better offer. Border post services rendered by our members have come to a standstill. Our members are resolute that they are going to forge ahead with the industrial action until Sars tables a concrete offer.” Reuben Maleka of the Public Servants Association (PSA) claimed: “All normal SARS services including customs, borders are completely affected.” SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko said there was nothing to report other than that the strike was “ongoing as it has not yet been resolved”. No further meeting between the parties has been scheduled. Sibeko advised that the tax collection season was going ahead as planned. Members of the PSA and Nehawu downed tools in May to demand increases of 11.5% and 12%, respectively. The two unions, which jointly represent the majority of SARS’ 13,000 workforce, voted to resume the suspended strike last week after further talks with management deadlocked. SARS previously offered unions R70m to fund pay rises and R430m as a one-off gratuity payment for the 2021/2022 financial year. The offer, however, was rejected, with the unions saying it would mean an increase of just 1.3% and a one-off R3,000 cash gratuity.


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