Johannesburg - The chances of the public sector wage negotiations being completed by the end of the year, as hoped by unions, do not look promising.
The government had not yet made a counter-offer, the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) said on Monday.
It has been over a month since the 16 unions representing about 1.3 million public servants formally asked for a 15 percent pay rise, a R3 000 housing allowance and above inflation medical aid subsidy increases.
The last wage negotiations for state employees were three years ago. In the past, unions have failed to convince the government to agree to their wage demands as they have submitted them too late and the state has then argued they cannot be provided for it in the budget.
Nehawu was adamant that the government would not be able to make the same arguments this time round because the state was now dragging out the process.
“The ball is in the court of the employer, who has still not come back. If the state could start with real increase negotiations… it could be concluded by the end of the year,” Nehawu first deputy president Michael Shingange said.
But that scenario is unlikely. While the government still needs to make a counter-offer, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene indicated in his Medium-Term Budget Framework speech last month that inflation-related increases would be offered. This currently amounts to about 6.6 percent.
He said that in the present economic conditions, it was especially important to balance spending on public servants and resources required for service delivery.
But Nehawu reiterated what it and other public sector unions have been saying: inflation-based increases will not suffice because of the rising cost of things such as food and electricity.
“If anyone wants a fight, they will get a fight. Anyone who wants to avoid a strike… must come to negotiations and negotiate,” Nehawu president Mzwandile Makwayiba said.
“It appears the Treasury wants to go in another direction,” he added.
Cosatu-affiliated unions have said they will not accept anything less than a double- digit increase.
Group Labour Editor