Unless Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi changes her 6% salary offer, the country could be crippled by a strike involving about a million public servants by the end of the month.
“Only a significant move from government will change our minds and that looks unlikely if you look at what (Fraser-Moleketi) has said,” said Fikile Majola, general secretary of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), yesterday.
The unions are demanding a 12% salary increase, while the government is offering half that.
Majola said the next step — bar the government revising its offer — was for the unions to submit a notice of strike and, seven days after that, to down tools.
In the meantime, Cosatu members would take part in lunchtime pickets and would work to rule. This means no overtime, no helping out where there are severe staff shortages, and staff taking tea and lunch breaks they usually skip.
The seven independent unions, which have been less keen to strike than the Cosatu unions, were still balloting members and would come up with programmes of action as mandates came in, said Public Service Association chief Manie de Clerq.
De Clerq is also chairman of the independent caucus of seven unions, which makes up 43% of vote weight in the Public Service Collective Bargaining Council.
The independent unions expected to have all their votes in by next week at the latest, meaning they could join the Cosatu unions in the strike which Cosatu expects could start on May 26.
While the unions say they are waiting for the government to make the next move, the public service and administration department says it is waiting for the unions to budge.
“The next move is up to the unions, although I am sure there are quiet talks going on now,” said department spokesman Lewis Rabkin yesterday.
This stalemate has existed since May 3 when, after a month-long conciliation process, the unions walked out in disgust when the government asked that the conciliation period be extended.
The unions say they cannot compromise on their demand because public servants have had below-inflation salary increases for years and food and transport inflation has rocketed. Economists have voiced some sympathy for the unions.
It was the government that last revised its offer — moving from 5,6% to 6% for salaries and offering a tranche of other improvements to public servants’ working conditions and pockets.
These include provisions to compensate employees if CPIX (inflation minus mortgages) exceeded their pay increases and plans to bring salaries for 360 occupations — including health professionals, teachers, social workers, architects and engineers — in line with the private sector.
While there are noises offstage which indicate some of the unions are not adamant about 12% and might settle for “double figures”, on Friday the unions closed ranks and reiterated their demand for 12%.
