Public servants insist wage dispute must be settled this week

NEGOTIATORS representing 1.3 million workers in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) said they were desperately hoping that the government would return to the council with an improved wage offer before the end of the week.

Wage talks for the 2015/ 2016 period have been tense since the end of last year, with labour accusing the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) of negotiating in bad faith they have not witnessed since the advent of democracy.

Labour unions asserted that the employer had not kept to the terms of the negotiations, a move they said badly affected the principle of good faith that is highly relied on to conclude talks amicably.

The government had made an initial salary increase offer of 5.8 percent to labour unions, but later changed it to 4.8 percent, in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI) projections.

The move has exasperated an already fragile process, which negotiators representing workers and the employer predict will lead to a strike.

Cosatu unions have already warned the government that they would be left with no option but to take to the streets, should there not be a change in attitude.

The Independent Labour Caucus (ILC), a conservative bloc in the council, also said it was shocked by this year’s pace of negotiations and the sudden change of the government offer to labour.

The country is already under immense pressure to project a stable image of not only its finances but its key sectors, in light of warnings by international credit rating agencies.

DPSA Minister Collins Chabane will have to reinvigorate the negotiations by sending his team back with an offer acceptable to labour.

Unions are demanding a 10 percent wage hike for public servants, down from an initial demand of 15 percent. They have rejected not only the 4.8 percent projected CPI figure, but also the 6.6 percent Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced he had budgeted for wage increases.

Independent Media understands that the unions would, however, consider anything between 7 and 7.5 percent.

Cosatu union negotiators have been mandated by their principals to secure a deal before Sunday, failing which “decisive” actions would have to be taken.