Mchunu is adamant that Treasury has no money for salary increases as the country faces a myriad of challenges.
A general strike by public service workers looks set to go ahead as South African trade unions this week moved to declare a deadlock after the last round of negotiations with the department of public service and administration failed to yield the desired outcome.
Government is understood to have doubled down on its stance that National Treasury had no money to pay for public sector salary increases.
According to the unions, government’s only “revised offer” came in the form of a proposal that funds currently allocated for pay progression, resettlement costs for workers relocated to another province and daily allowances should no longer be paid out. Instead, those funds would be channelled towards the salary increases that are being demanded by public sector workers.
Public sector wage negotiations deadlock – can SA afford a strike? The Public Servants Association, one of the largest parties at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council, tabled a wage demand of over 7%, with government saying it cannot afford the demand. FILE: Members of the Public Servants Association (PSA) protest in Pretoria. Picture: Eyewitness News.
This comes after marathon talks between state negotiators and the Public Servants Association (PSA).
The association, one of the largest parties at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council, tabled a wage demand of over 7% - with government saying it cannot afford the demand.
Government proposed a 0% increase but has been willing to talk.
We want our money or we ll fetch it ourselves - Union hits back as govt tables 0% increase offer Updated
Nathan Daniels
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The Public Servants Association (PSA) has rejected an offer of a 0% increase tabled by government during its wage talks.
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Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has previously indicated that there is no money to pay public servants a salary increase.
He blamed the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the PSA s Reuben Maleka hit back saying government should not hide behind the health crisis which saw resources diverted to save lives. That is dishonesty. The government doesn t have money because it was looted. They must not hide behind Covid, said Maleka.
[LISTEN] PSA Threatens Shutdown of Public Service Sector if Salary Increases Not Given
Apr 23, 2021
The assistant general manager of the Public Servants Association (PSA), Reuben Maleka while government is negotiating increases for employees at local government level, public servants are being side-lined for any salary increments.
Maleka was speaking to Radio Islam on Friday about salary negotiations between government and the public servants.
Trade unions representing public servants have tabled a wage proposal of more than 7% while government is doubling down on a three-year pay freeze.
Maleka says government is ignoring the public servants.
“You’ll see hypocrisy there that the same government would give other sea of government of 2.8%, but at our level as public servants they are giving us 0%. So the plead of that there’s no money, it doesn’t make sense.”
Big public sector strike planned for South Africa
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The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it will go on a national strike if the government does not deviate from its 0%-wage increase offer for the 2021/22 financial year.
The PSA is one of the largest parties at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council and represents more than 235,000 public workers.
The association said that public servants should have received their salary increases with effect from 1 April 2021.
“Negotiations resumed on 15 April 2021 where the employer responded to labour’s demands. The response was utterly disappointing and an insult to labour as it only responded positively to some issues, which have no direct short-term financial benefit for employees.”