TRADE UNION ASKS MINISTER GODONGWANA TO HELP BREAK SA REVENUE WAGE IMPASSE

THE FEDERATION of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to intervene in the wage negotiations deadlock between the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and thousands of members of the Public Servants’ Association, an affiliate of Fedusa. Fedusa said on Friday it supports PSA’s plan to strike after Sars refused to move from its zero percent offer for the 2022/23 round of collective bargaining between the parties, despite formally declaring that it had achieved a 25 percent increase in revenue collected in 2021/2022 compared to the 2020/2021 financial year. “Sars’ ridiculous offer of a zero percent wage increase throughout the negotiations when the prices of basic services, food, fuel and electricity continue to increase at inflationary rates is an insult to our members. How are they expected to make ends meet in such an environment?” Fedusa general secretary Riefdah Ajam said. He said the zero percent offer would deepen the plight of Sars workers who had had their conditions of service changed unilaterally over three years, including the employer’s refusal to implement the final leg of a threeyear wage agreement. |