Denosa
Public sector trade unions are gearing up for a national strike, saying the wage impasse from last year has not yet been resolved.
Several unions in the public sector announced a programme of action on Thursday, rejecting the government's call for a return to talks ahead of next week's budget speech by the Finance Minister.
Presenting the position of Cosatu-affiliated unions in the Public Sector Bargaining Council, Simon Hlungwani, of the nursing union DENOSA, said they would be balloting their members on for an indefinite strike.
He said the government had unilaterally implemented a wage increase, which had been roundly rejected by all unions in the Bargaining Council.
Hlungwani said there is no reason for them to return to the bargaining table on Friday, following an invitation by the government.
"It is our view that based on previous experiences this meeting will amount to nothing but a box-ticking exercise in further justifying their tabled offer leading up to the upcoming budget speech to be tabled by the Finance Minister next week."
"It is for this reason that we are withdrawing our participation in this frivolous process. We have also in December 2022, received a response from the Acting Minister of DPSA on the memorandum that was handed over to the employer in October 2022," said Hlungwani.
“Our negotiators are not going participate in any activity of the PSBC until the dispute of 2022/2023 is resolved. We have already started engaging our members to revive the mandate, mobilise, and ballot for strike action,” he said.
Hlungwani said the notice of the strike action will be served on the government next Wednesday when Enoch Godongwana tables his much-anticipated budget.
