Pretoria court in limbo as workers protest
Public Servants Association (PSA) is demanding a 6.5% salary increase.
The government employees’ labour strike last week interrupted court cases in the Pretoria magistrate’s court.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) and Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) protested outside the National Treasury offices in Pretoria demanding a salary increase.
“The PSA issued a strike notice on October 24 after the salary negotiations deadlocked as the government offered a 3% increase and discontinue the cash gratuity from March 31, 2023,” a PSA statement read.
The association is demanding a 6.5% increase.
“Government’s decision to unilaterally implement the meagre increase in November 2022 has angered the PSA.”
The association said government employees were feeling the severe effects of fuel, transport and food price increases as well as interest rate hikes.
According to the association it represents about 235 000 government employees and the strike was expected to affect government departments.
Pretoria magistrate court clerks and interpreters joined the labour strike.
The court operated partially with only magistrates, lawyers and a few clerks working.
The police brought the accused to court late but instead of taking them to the cells, they remained in the back of vans because of the protest.
None of the accused applying for bail appeared in court and their cases were postponed.
An advocate, who was unhappy with the postponement, told the court his client had been in custody for more than a month.
The cross-examination of two men accused of the murder of a 23-year-old University of Pretoria student was delayed yet again as it was affected by the strike. The accused, Bongani Sibiya and William Mokgaba, couldn’t even make it to court.
The investigating officer sat idly by unable to give his evidence on Thursday.
The trial resumes on November 23.
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