South Africa: Strike Action by Public Sector Workers to Impact Multiple Govt Departments
Cape Town — A public sector stay-away is expected to affect car licencing offices and border posts, eNCA reports. This comes as wage negotiations between government and public sector unions remain at an impasse after workers rejected a proposed 3% increase, demanding a 6.5% rise instead. Workers also requested a R1,000 gratuity payment to continue beyond March 2023.
However, in his medium-term budget policy statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the public service wage bill would increase by 3.1%.
According to BusinessTech, negotiations stalled after government representatives refused to make concessions, leading to a collapse in talks. Subsequently, a certificate on non-resolution was issued for the following unions:
National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) – 274,000 members
Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) – 235,000 members
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) – 120,000 members
Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (DENOSA) – 84,000 members
Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (HOSPERSA) – 70,000 members
South African Policing Union (SAPU) – 60,000 members
Strike action ahead of the national stay-away began with the Public Servants Association (PSA) posting lunchtime pickets since last week. Additional pickets are expected to take place several health facilities in Bloemfontein, at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town, as well as the Johannesburg prison.
According to Eyewitness News, PSA spokesperson Claude Naicker warned that agreeing to government’s lower offer would set a bad precedent, saying: “There’s no use negotiating. This will set the tone for future negotiations in the public sector as well as the rest of the country but as I said, we are in full-blown mode.”
By André van Wyk
