BusinessLive reports that the Public Service Association (PSA) is seeking mandates from its members after the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) improved its wage offer to striking workers by throwing in a one-off sweetener.
Talks deadlocked after Sita, which provides ICT services to local, provincial and national government departments and agencies, improved its wage offer to 5%, while the union remained stuck at 7.5%. That led to PSA members embarking on a strike last week. According to PSA chief negotiator Zamani Dladla, the industrial action disrupted ICT services in several government departments, including home affairs and the SA National Defence Force. Speaking on Monday, Dladla said “in a last-ditch effort to prevent any further industrial action, the employer has since presented its final 5% wage offer across the board, effective April 1, to be paid on October 25, and added a one-off ex gratia payment of R8,326.45 as a sweetener for each of the 3,103 Sita employees which will be paid on November 25”. Dladla added that additionally “the PSA demanded the ‘no work, no pay’ principle not be implemented for all those employees who embarked on industrial action and that R25m will be utilised as an ex gratia payment in respect of the salary negotiation for the 2023/24 financial year.” The employer apparently responded that it would consult with its principals and revert to the PSA on the additional demands. The PSA will only accept the offer once the majority of members have provided a mandate to the PSA,” Dladla advised.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive
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