Public sector unions threaten full-blown strike over wage demands

Popcru, Nehawu, Denosa, Saepu, Pawusa, Samatu, Nupsaw and Sapu on Thursday called a media briefing at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council offices in Centurion, where they reiterated their rejection of the wage offer from government, and their decision to withdraw their labour.

In a move that labour has described as “arrogant” government implemented a unilateral baseline 3%, wage hike, plus R1 000 cash allowance, last year after negotiations deadlocked.

Nursing union Denosa’s president Simon Hlungwani said unions plan to inform the employer on 22 February, as it's clear they are acting in bad faith.

“We have already started engaging our members to revive the mandate, mobilise and ballot them for the strike action. We will be convening town base meetings, meetings with progressive community organisations to explain our program and also, to make the public aware of the plight of our members and the impact of the austerity measures in service delivery.

The affected unions say they will also mobilize workers to stage a picket on the same day outside Cape Town city hall where Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to deliver his budget speech.

They’ve also called for demonstrations at National Treasury’s offices in Pretoria.

“We will on the days where in the Minister of Finance and the MECs of Finance are presenting their budget speeches picket outside the venues as part of our rejection of austerity measures and the implementation of neo-liberal policies,” Hlungwane added.

At the end of last year civil servants took to the streets demanding a 10% wage increase, among others, as well as the implementation of the 2018 three-year wage agreement that government reneged on.

The unions also announced the withdrawal of their negotiators from further talks with the employer; as government has called a Special Council meeting scheduled to take place on Friday.

Reading from the statement, on behalf of the represented unions, Hlungwani lambasted government for opening up for the 2023/2024 wage negotiations while the previous year’s negotiations had not been concluded.

“We call on the government to do the honorable thing and accede to the reasonable demands that will counter the high inflation, the skyrocketing petrol prices, unaffordable food, and public transport prices. Government must not create confusion with its frivolous call for labour to return to the council to negotiate for 2023/2024 because we are not done with 2022/2023 and if we were to heed that call it would mean that we agree with the pathetic increment.”

Meanwhile, amid reports of divisions among those unions that had united in protest in December, Nehawu’s December Mavuso said he is confident the strike will have the desired impact.

 It’s reported Fedusa doesn’t agree with rival federations Cosatu and Saftu’s approach to resolving the wage impasse. 

But Mavuso said their mandate is to protect the bargaining process, and that they are still open to negotiating only if the employer agrees to fairly conduct and conclude the 2022 wage talks.