Public service unions to embark on an indefinite strike
Unions are not willing to compromise on their 10% wage increment demand.
Several union members picketed outside the Department of Higher Education and Training on Thursday in Pretoria, demanding the government come back to the negotiation table on 2022/23 wages.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) representative Richard Mamabolo told Rekord that the picketing also forms part of the build-up to an indefinite public sector strike that would take place from March 6.
Mamabolo said the union made their demands known, adding that the mandate they got from their members was very clear.
“We have made it clear that we are standing on our initial demand of a 10% wage increase. That’s the starting point. Any compromise can be considered once discussions are underway.”
During the last negotiations, the government implemented a unilateral 3% wage increase late last year.
The unions vowed to meet on Monday next week as a show of force behind their support of their demands for above-inflation increases.
The unions, representing thousands of the more than 1.3-million public servants, have refused to take part in the 2023/2024 wage talks which began at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) recently.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) is demanding an above-inflation wage increase of 12.5% for its more than 235 000 members, saying hard-pressed public servants had not received any real increases over the past four years.
However, it is reported that unions are heavily divided on their way forward.
Wage talks soured last year when at least seven public service unions failed to convince the government to concede to their demand for a 10% wage increase.
During the impasse, three union federations – Cosatu, Saftu, and Fedusa – gave the government an ultimatum to honour a three-year wage deal or face a national shutdown.
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