Major unions representing more than 800,000 in the public sector have obtained a certificate of non-resolution from the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CCMA), paving the way for a major strike in South Africa.
The certificate issued on Tuesday, November 1, following the failure of negotiations between union leaders and the national government.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his budget speech in October that a 3% wage increase for public sector workers would be unilaterally implemented, pushing for the increase despite union calls for a 10% increase.
In response, this week unions began picketing the Public Service Negotiations Coordinating Council (PSCCB) workplace as leaders gathered to negotiate a way forward.
However, government officials did not budge, leading to the failure of the talks. A certificate of non-resolution was issued to the following trade unions:
A certificate of non-resolution issued to the South African Civil Servants’ Association (PSA) and the South African Police Union (SAPU) in October.
Declaring war
Speaking to outdoor PSCBC staff on Tuesday, Nehawu said union leaders would come together to chart a way forward for the strike, which will come with continuous lunchtime pickets, absences, marches and ultimately a nationwide public shutdown. services.
“We’re not going to a picnic, we’re going to war,” union leaders said. “We can’t stop, we’re going to a big war, bigger than ever in the civil service. “
“Workers across the country are ready. They think we would call a strike, but we have to do it meticulously, we have to do it right. We want to make sure that when we start… We hit hard and the employer feels the anger and pain of the worker.
Union leaders said staff would continue to picket at lunchtime until additional updates, main points and marching orders are given on “when we strike, when we stay away and when we carry out a national lockdown. “
Nehawu said the strike affects all public sector workers, from Level 1 to Level 12, which are the responsibility of the PSCBC.
He rejected the complaint that public sector staff were essential personnel, and therefore deserved not to be allowed to strike, adding that the situation was up to the government.
“We will not be blamed for the disruption of critical services. It is the employers, it is the government that mobilized and united us. They invited us out into the streets.
Nehawu said that if the government needs to argue that public facilities are essential facilities, then essential personnel should be treated as essential, which includes a fair salary.
He said he has had to suffer for the past three years, but politicians, who earn 17 times more and are guilty of budget mismanagement, are no worse off.
“They receive their salaries from the same public purse, but we are the ones who are punished. We are being punished for budget mismanagement and mismanagement within the government,” he said.
The Director General of the Department of Administration and Civil Service, Yoliswa Makhasi, noted that the remuneration of the 1. 3 million state employees represents only about a third of the total government expenditure, and that it is imperative in the National. The Treasury’s plans in the face of the budget deficit and runaway public debt.
Medium-term fiscal policy makes changes to account for the additional budget for unpredictable expenditures. In the current case, unforeseen expenses are estimated at R14 billion to cover the 3% salary adjustment, Makhasi said.
Read: Government imposes 3% salary for public service workers
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