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Government raises wage offer to unions for 2023/24 to 7.5%

Details

southafricalogoFin24 reports that the government has improved its wage offer to public servants to 7.5%, thus increasing the prospects of an early settlement to negotiations.

A coalition of trade unions that constitute a majority in the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) held a briefing on Wednesday. The unions are seeking a mandate from their members to adjust their wage demand to 7.5%. They include all public sector unions affiliated to the Federation of Trade Unions of SA (Fedusa) and the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu). The unions had already adjusted their original demand of 10% to 8% a week ago. The coalition, which has a 53.9% majority in the chamber, does not include unions that embarked on a strike earlier this month. The strike was over dissatisfaction with the previous round of wage negotiations for 2022/23. That dispute led to the striking unions boycotting the earlier rounds of the 2023/24 wage talks. The striking unions apparently rejoined the chamber last week and attempted, unsuccessfully, to disrupt the new round of talks. A decision taken by the majority coalition will be binding on all labour constituents. Should a settlement be reached, negotiations, which will cover the three years beginning 1 April (other reports indicate a two-year deal), will have been settled in record time. The 7.5% offer is well over the 4.5% increase in wages that was written into the February budget, raising concerns that SA's plans to reduce the budget deficit will be affected.

  • Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24
  • Read too, Public sector unions closer to reaching two-year wage agreement, at TimesLive


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