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The Public Servants Association says it’s prepared to sign the 7.5% wage increase offer that government is talking about – only, no such offer exists.
The PSA has accused government of deliberately attempting to cause confusion between employees and members of the public by, what it said, creating a perception that public servants are greedy to a point of rejecting a 7.5% wage offer, which is above CPI.
The union’s spokesperson Reuben Maleka said had it been a “real” offer, the unions would’ve accepted it, but he said government was lying because the offer does not exist.
“The conversion of the R1000 gratuity to 4.5% is disingenuous as the money has already been eroded by the interest rates, that have increased three times since the introduction of the same,” Maleka said in a statement.
“The money could not even match the increase stolen from the workers in 2020. The employer is aware that putting the R1000 on the baseline will result in workers getting less than R300 on their disposable income.”
Maleka said what remained factual was that government officials were offered a salary increase of “disappointing” 3%, which is far below the CPI.
He said the PSA “remains determined to intensify its industrial action and will ensure that all key strategic government services are crippled by strike action until workers’ demands are agreed to”.
At least seven unions, including Nehawu and Denosa, said they would take to the streets on Tuesday in a 'national day of action'.
