Johannesburg - Government slammed public sector unions for coming out in their thousands on a march to the National Treasury on Thursday in Pretoria.
Acting minister of Public Service and Administration, Nathi Mthethwa, said the march - which brought Pretoria to a standstill with over 11000 union members participating - was both “unlawful and unprotected”.
“Our negotiators have been negotiating in good faith and according to their mandate. Unless and until the conciliation process has been exhausted, no party may exercise the right to strike and or lockout workers as provided for in the law,” public service department spokesman, Brent Simons, said.
“Accordingly, any industrial action, including on Friday’s march while the conciliation process is continuing is both unlawful and unprotected.”
Simon’s comments come in the wake of vows by Cosatu unions to strike and embark on go-slows should government not accede to its demand for a 10 percent wage hike.
On Friday Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini accused government of in fact provoking a strike with the threat that its stubbornness at the public service bargaining council could plunge the country into a crisis.
Simons said government’s current offer includes:
· Improving the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS) medical aid subsidy from 17.6% to 28.5%;
· Introduction of three (3) days for paternity leave for public service employees;
· Family responsibility leave for public service employees who have children with severe special needs is improved from two (2) to five (5) days;
· The housing allowance is improved by 33.3% from R900 to R1 200.
Further, government has offered a projected pay hike of:
- Projected CPI + 1% for 2015/16;
- Projected CPI + 0.5% for 2016/17; and
- Projected CPI + 0.5% for 2017/18.
“The current government wage bill is R400 billion and is projected to grow to R437bn in the 2015/16 financial year,” Simons said.
“This constitutes about 35.5 percent of the total government budget. The current employer offer estimated at R37bn is inclusive of the Cost of Living Adjustment (of CPI plus 1 percent) and other benefits and is inclusive of the medical aid subsidy and the housing allowance.”
Lead Cosatu-negotiator at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council, Mugwena Maluleke said organised labour would continue with conciliation in the public service bargaining council.
“The Department of Public Service and Administration can come and make the presentation of the revised offer on the disputed areas. (But) Cosatu public sector unions remain convinced that the demands submitted in (Friday’s) memorandum must be acceded to by the employer,” he said.
Cosatu wants a 10 percent wage increase and a R1500 monthly housing allowance for all its members.
Labour Bureau