BL Premium reports that public service unions have rejected the government’s revised final offer of 3% for SA’s more than 1.3-million public servants, who are demanding inflation-beating increases.
The unions are expected to descend on Tshwane on Tuesday to deliver a list of demands to the Treasury and President Cyril Ramaphosa, while others are set to march to the offices of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) in Centurion on the same day. The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said its march on Tuesday would aim to highlight its dissatisfaction over the wage offer and the manner in which worker issues were addressed by the employer. The 3% offer was tabled at the PSCBC on 30 August. Unions were given 21 days to seek a mandate from their members on the 3% offer, which includes a R1,000 after tax cash gratuity payable to all public servants until March 2023. In the event that the unions formally reject the 3% offer, they would need to declare a dispute, which would unlock a conciliation process within the PSCBC. If the parties fail to break the deadlock in that process, a strike certificate will be issued, allowing workers to go on a strike. Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo invited Cosatu-affiliated “sister unions” to join the march on Tuesday. Popcru’s demands include the reversal of austerity measures/budget cuts; filling of vacant posts; increase in danger allowances; access to a portion of pension funds before retirement; increase in clothing/uniform allowance; and building safe police stations. The union wants the government to deal with police killings and attacks on correctional services officials. Cosatu breakaway SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) is set to picket outside the PSCBC offices in Centurion on Tuesday in support of above-inflation increases for public servants.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- Read too, Popcru vows to forge ahead with national march to Union Buildings on Tuesday, at EWN
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page