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BL Premium reports that unions representing teachers, soldiers, police and nurses have rejected government’s 3% wage offer and have elected to stick to their demand for an above-inflation wage increase of 12%.
Parties met at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) on Tuesday to try and find middle ground. According to Frikkie de Bruin, PSCBC general secretary, the parties were still “positional and neither of them at this stage is willing to give way on their positions”. But he added: “I must state upfront that it’s very early in the negotiation process as to make any assumptions as to where and which direction the negotiations will go.” Other demands by the civil servants for 2025/26 include a R2,500 housing allowance increment across the board, a nearly two-fold rise in the danger allowance to R1,000, a performance bonus, bursary schemes for dependants of employees, and permanent employment for education/teacher assistants, community health workers and reservists. De Bruin reported that the parties resolved on Tuesday night that “considering the urgency of finalising this round of negotiations, to revert to a facilitated process under the auspices of the council to attempt to bring parties closer. It is envisaged that the facilitation process will start on October 8”. It is said that the upcoming weeks will be crucial, especially with the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) looming. Unions are hoping that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will take their demands into account in the MTBPS.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- Read too, Public sector wage talks: Unions and government turn to facilitator in negotiations, at City Press (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page