Johannesburg - The Public Servants' Association (PSA) cannot allow its members to sacrifice and endure hardships while money is still being looted for self-enrichment, the union said on Sunday.
The PSA, representing more than 240 000 public servants, was shocked by the request from the state attorney for an extension to reply to the PSA’s founding affidavit in the Labour Court on the public service wage dispute, the PSA said in a statement.
The Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) resolution 1/2018 made provision for a three-year agreement on salary adjustments and improvements to conditions of service for public servants. The department of public service and administration was bound by the agreement, but had failed to implement the last leg of the agreement whereby public servants were due for a salary increase with effect from April 1, 2020.
The PSA instructed its lawyers to approach the Labour Court to enforce the agreement. The PSA could confirm that it only received an answering affidavit from the minister of public service and administration on the eve of July 1, 2020. The affidavit merely indicated that the employer was basing its defense on unaffordability to implement the agreement.
"Yet, amid the crisis government is facing to balance the budget, wastage and corruption continue unabated. Only 20 out of 257 municipalities have received a clean audit [for the latest financial year] with R32-billion being lost to irregular expenditure, fraud, and corruption," the PSA said.
"The PSA is outraged to see the union’s persistent calls on government to hold accountable those who have mismanaged state funds and looting falling on deaf ears. To date, no action has been taken to recover these funds and return it to state coffers for service delivery. The PSA cannot allow that its members sacrifice and endure hardships while money is still being looted for self-enrichment."
On June 29, 2020, the PSA’s attorneys received a letter from the state attorney requesting an extension until July 17, 2020 to file an answering affidavit on behalf of the minister of finance.
The reasons cited related to the public finance and the macro-economic issues which they needed to consult on. The state attorney’s request was a clear indication that government was not concerned about the financial well-being of public servants who were also at the frontline in combatting the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
"This delaying tactic of government is completely insensitive to public servants who ensure service delivery during the pandemic. It is thus unfortunate and completely misplaced for government to use the pandemic to substantiate its plea of poverty.
"The PSA agreed to the extension until 17 July 2020, as it is of the opinion that the [Labour] Court will grant the request. The PSA, however, cannot condone government’s behaviour and considers the extension as unreasonable," the union said.