Public servants to protest today over wage hike
THOUSANDS of Public Servants Association (PSA) members are expected to descend on Parliament in Cape Town, the offices of the National Treasury in the Pretoria CBD and City Hall in Durban today to protest against the government’s unilateral implementation of a 3% wage increase despite reaching a deadlock with labour unions.
The union declared a deadlock with the government last month following its failure to accede to its demand for a 6.5% increase across the board for all public servants, including essential workers.
The strike was initially set for last week, but the union postponed this until today. It vowed to bring services to a standstill in all public services institutions, including affecting services at OR Tambo International Airport and other airports and border posts in the country.
Schools, especially during the writing of the matric exams, were not expected to be affected by the indefinite strike action.
Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi appeared unfazed about the strike action yesterday, saying measures had been taken to remedy the situation while the PSA continued with its action. Departmental spokesperson Moses Mushi said they had noted the social media reports that the union would be embarking on a national march, despite having served the employer with a notice to commence with the strike on or after November 3.
“The department has put measures in place to mitigate the impact of such an action by the union, including concluding the picketing rules that states that picketing shall only take place during lunch hour or tea breaks outside the premises of the employer,” Mushi said.
The government yesterday also reiterated that they would go ahead with the payment of a 3% salary increase, including non-pensionable cash allowances, next week. Mushi said the payment date was November 17.
“Having considered the risks of public servants not receiving any salary increases for this financial year if the processes of wage negotiations are not concluded in time for the 2022 Medium-term Budget Policy Statement as outlined by the minister of finance, the acting minister for Public Service and Administration indicated that he would be implementing the last salary offer for the public servants that was tabled at the bargaining council following the facilitation process.
“The minister indicated that this would be in the interest of the public servants and the government’s planning cycle,” he said.
The department’s director-general, Yoliswa Makhasi, said the government would continue with the current non-pensionable cash allowance until March 31, 2023, to all employees on salary levels 1 to 12, including those covered by the Occupational Specific Dispensation employed in the public service, and a 3% pensionable increase to all employees on salary levels 1 to 12, backdated to April 1, 2022.
Aileen Mosetic, acting provincial manager for PSA Cape Town, said: “The PSA is disgusted with the manner in which the employer has treated our members and their disregard for collective bargaining and our trade union. We will be marching to Parliament where we will be handing over a memorandum to a representative of the premier of the Western Cape at 1pm on Thursday in Wale Street.”
Tshwane metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba yesterday said members of the union would gather at the Old Putco depot in Marabastad. From the depot, they would join Struben Street and turn right into Sophie de Bruyn Street, turn left into Madiba Street to proceed straight until they reached the National Treasury at 240 Madiba Street.
In KZN, PSA provincial manager Mlungisi Ndlovu expected thousands of public servants from KZN to join the protest in Durban.
Ndlovu said they will be marching from King Dinuzulu Park, through Pixley kaseme Street to Durban City Hall, as part of the national protest action by the PSA against the wage offer by the government. “We will have public servants coming from Paulpietersburg, Dundee, Newcastle, Ladysmith, Howick, Kokstad and Richmond,” he said.