BL Premium reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents more than 245,000 teachers, nurses, doctors and other public sector employees, says a number of its members are in favour of the government’s revised wage offer of 5% for 2025/26.
The PSA’s Reuben Maleka indicated on Wednesday that the union had concluded its mandate-seeking process and was collating data to get a clearer picture. “We will be able to know whether we are signing the deal by Friday. Some of our members voted manually and others electronically…. the electronic data coming through is positive,” Maleka said. In January, the government increased its wage offer for 2024/25 to 5% from 4.7%, prompting public service unions to slash their pay demand to 6% from 12%. The revised offer led to unions embarking on a mandate-seeking process. The term of the agreement would be three years. The wage increases for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years would be linked to the consumer price index (CPI). The government has offered increases in various allowances, including housing (from R1,784 to R1,900 on 1 April, with a further CPI-determined adjustment for 2025/26). The danger allowance would increase from R623.29 to R650 for 2025/26 and thereafter by CPI, while the special danger allowance would be adjusted from R931.82 to R950 on 1 April. The death grant, childcare and breastfeeding facilities, recruitment policy, bursary scheme for public servants’ dependants, standardisation of uniform policy, an incentive policy framework and comprehensive danger insurance “will be researched, and position papers will be developed for future negotiations”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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