COSATU-affiliated unions declared a dispute and reverted back to a 10% wage increase demand on Monday, 24 October. Image: Twitter/@_cosatu.
Public sector strike imminent after wage talks collapse
‘We will show our anger through many activities and campaigns over this period commencing with a mass picket demonstrations across provinces,’ said COSATU.
COSATU-affiliated unions declared a dispute and reverted back to a 10% wage increase demand on Monday, 24 October. Image: Twitter/@_cosatu.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (COSATU) joint mandating committee (JMC) announced public service unions have declared a dispute after wage negotiations with the State collapsed again.
WAGE TALKS COLLAPSE
COSATU unions – including the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU), Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) and more – account for the majority of the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).
The majority of the unions in the PSCBC rejected the government’s last wage offer and the employer later withdrew the 3% offer.
JMC Convener, Simon Hlungwani, said workers have decided to revert to their initial demand of a 10% increase across-the-board after the withdrawal and have invoked the PSCBC dispute resolution mechanism.
The JMC said its wage demands remain justified given the “volatile economic conditions and the rising inflation” in the country.
“It is now public knowledge, based on the leaked letter written to the general secretary of the PSCBC and the special council meeting of the 19th October 2022 that the employer is intending to unilaterally implement the very same offer that was officially withdrawn in council,” said Hlungwani.
According to the Mail and Guardian, the leaked letter Hlungwani refers to revealed that the government plans to impose its 3% wage offer in terms of Section 5(5)(b) of the Public Service Act, which allows for the last offer on the table to be pushed through if there is a deadlock.
The JMC said the State’s “tendency” to undermine the collective bargaining process will ultimately render the PSCBC powerless.
PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE IMMINENT
With the dispute declared, a conciliation date has been set for 31 October and 1 November 2022 at the PSCBC offices.
COSATU said the Federation will rally its collective might to push the employer to make a better offer than the one rejected.
“We will show our anger through many activities and campaigns over this period commencing with a mass picket demonstrations across provinces,” said Hlungwani.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) previously said it would accept the 3% wage increase offer – going against the stance taken by its COSATU affiliates.
Also on Monday, 24 October, the Public Servants Association (PSA) filed a notice to commence with industrial action after a protracted negotiation period.
PSA said it exhausted “all options possible to resolve the wage negotiation impasse and hitting a brick wall owing to government’s arrogance and disregard of workers’ plight throughout the negotiations. Effectively, the PSA’s members will have the right to strike seven days after filing the notice.”
The union said public sector employees have been made scapegoats for endless corruption and are portrayed as greedy by the government’s narrative.
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