Over the past two years, workers have not received any increase, but have been given an untaxed R1000 stipend across the board. This is according to unions, who have been requesting for government to introduce official wage increases.
This is why, at the start of the financial year, the Department of Public Service and Administration presented an offer of a 3% baseline salary increase across the board.
Recently, the department’s Acting Minister, Thulas Nxesi, said the government has made a new offer of 7.5% to labour unions representing more than 1 million workers under the service of the public sector.
In a statement, Nxesi said:
Some in the media fraternity have ignored this fact of a 7.5% government offer, and have chosen to continue with the misinformation of only 3%, as propagated by some in organised labour.
The department has explained that the government is offering a sum total of 7.5% composed of non-pensionable cash allowance of R1 000.00 after tax, which amounts to 4.5%, and a 3% pensionable increase across the board.
The Public Service Unions has labeled these calculations as flawed and sneaky. Additionally, the collective has pointed out that there was never a 7.5% offer that was presented at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).
Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (Cosatu) Public Service Unions Joint Mandating Committee Convener, Simon Hlungwani has also shared that the government has been trying to pull the wool over public servants by distorting the offer.
Hlungwani has also highlighted that the government has no respect for the collective bargaining process and the PSCBC as a platform for social dialogue.
Nxesi has appealed to the media to test the claims and allegations that are made by the unions as they embark on an industrial action.
The unions have stated that they will remain determined and prepared to take government head-on when it comes to the improving the conditions of living for public servants.
