Fin24 reports that the SA Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that unions have suspended their strike at the tax body and have reported for duty, with the wage negotiations process to continue.

SARS said in a statement on Friday that the Public Servants Association (PSA) suspended its industrial action first and that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) suspended its strike last Monday. This came after strike action caused disruptions at customs offices and branches around the country. At the height of the action, as many as 18 branches around the country were closed during the day, with SARS urging taxpayers to use its online services instead of visiting branches. SARS said the suspension of the industrial action allowed all parties in the wage negotiations to work towards progressing the talks and settling the dispute. The tax agency said follow-up discussions, as well as the national bargaining process, would resume soon. Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolisi indicated: "Yes, I can confirm that we have suspended the strike action on the eighth to give space for negotiations and discussions at the SARS National Bargaining Forum." The demand from organised labour is a CPI plus 7% wage increase, but SARS has previously said this demand would be unaffordable until it received further funding.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24

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