Civil servants should be grateful
Government workers will get raises of between 6% and 7% – more than fair in SA’s current economic climate.
Strikes are a common sight in South Africa. Data helps to put them in context. Nic Bothma/EPA
Cynically, one might be tempted to ask how would you know civil servants are on strike?
That’s because, frankly, the state of service is often uncivil in our government departments.
However, it is a good thing that the looming civil service strike appears to have been averted.
In terms of an agreement signed by government and unions representing more than 65% of civil servants – and which details salary arrangements and increments for the next three years – government workers will get raises of between 6% and 7%.
These increases are more than fair in SA’s current economic climate.
The country has been hit by a number of financial shocks in recent weeks: gross domestic product declined by 2.2% in the first quarter of this year and the rand-dollar exchange rate has worsened.
South Africa faces tough times and most South African workers will not get anything like 6% more in their pay packets. So, civil servants should be grateful.
Also bear in mind that South Africa has, for its size, a bloated civil service, where productivity lags those in most of the rest of the world.
But, hopefully, SA will have government labour stability for the next few years.
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