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BL Premium reports that with renewed strike action at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) entering its second week, another 10 branches across the country have been closed since Tuesday, bringing the total number to almost 50.
This as the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents over 5,000 of the nearly 13,000 employees at the revenue service, called for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s intervention to break the wage deadlock as it claimed criminals were taking advantage of alleged lax security at borders due to the strike action. There are also fears the industrial action by PSA and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) for inflation-beating increases could lead to SARS failing to meet its tax collection target for the 2022 tax season, which began on 1 July. SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko, however, insisted this week that the tax collection season was going ahead as planned and that it would also ensure that “border operations will proceed as normal, with the available staff supported by a number of SARS officials deployed from head office and the regions”. At a briefing on Wednesday, the PSA’s Reuben Maleka said the strike action had resulted in the closure of “more than 80% of SARS branches, with borders being hit hardest”. He said the untenable situation could have been avoided by SARS tabling a real salary increase as workers were prepared to go back to work and service the country. Members of the PSA and Nehawu downed tools in May to demand increases of 11.5% and 12%, respectively. Their industrial action was suspended to allow for further negotiations, but resumed last week after talks with management deadlocked. Both unions have said the industrial action would continue until SARS revised its 1.39% pay hike offer currently on the table.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page