Public sector unions claim state is pushing SA to crisis
- Published on 24 Apr 2015
- HR Pulse News Desk
Public servants’ unions aligned to labour federation Cosatu on Thursday accused the government of pushing the country towards a crisis by failing to accede to demands for a double-digit wage increase.
This came as unions marched on government departments in Pretoria in what union leaders described as a "warning shot" to push back against what they see as the Treasury’s agenda of "selective austerity measures". A three-year wage agreement expired at the start of April. Talks have deadlocked and a 30-day period of conciliation expires on 4 May, offering the prospect of 1.3-million public servants striking. The main sticking points are wages and the housing allowance. Unions are demanding a 10% salary increase followed by inflation plus 3% in the subsequent two years, and a R1,500 housing allowance.
The government is offering inflation plus 1% in the first year, followed by projected inflation plus 0.5% in the next two years, and a R1,100 housing allowance. Delivering a memorandum of demands to Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and acting public service and administration minister Nathi Mthethwa, Cosatu’s acting general-secretary, Bheki Ntshalintshali, called for the state to implement workers’ demands.
