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TimesLive reports that eight public service unions (other reports indicate nine unions) said on Thursday that their negotiators would not participate in any Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) wage meetings until the 2022/23 dispute was resolved.
In addition to a 10% increase, the unions concerned want a R2,500 housing allowance and the extension of bursary schemes. They are also seeking access to pension fund benefits prior to retirement and encashment of capped leave, among other things. “To all of these demands, the government has refused to concede, and it has been months since the negotiations started, yet we still find ourselves at this point of a dispute,” the eight unions noted. So, government must not create confusion by calling for public service labour unions to return for 2023/24 wage negotiations when there was no agreement in the 2022/23 dispute, the unions stated. In their view, if they should agree to participate in Friday’s PSCBC meeting called by the employer, it would mean they were in agreement with last year’s “pathetic” 3% increment. However, the Public Servants Association (PSA) is not part of the grouping of eight. It issued a statement saying it had been mandated by its members to table wage demands for the 2023/24 financial year. The PSA said it would continue to engage with other unions to alert them that failure to start 2023/24 negotiations without delay would disadvantage public servants, who were increasingly cash-strapped and indebted. It added: “The future of the current R1,000 cash gratuity is at risk, taking into account that the employer plans to terminate this payment by March 31 2023.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at SowetanLive
- Read too, Public service unions differ on fight over wages, at EWN
- And also, Cosatu, Saftu ready to go on strike, but major union PSA won’t join in, at Moneyweb
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page