Johannesburg - The Public Servants Association (PSA) has called off its strike following Cosatu unions’ decision to sign the public-sector wage agreement.
The final signature from the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has pushed the deal through the 50% +1 threshold and means the three-year deal with now be implemented unilaterally for all workers.
The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and the Police Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) were the first Cosatu public sector unions to sign the deal at the end of May.
The three-year deal includes: a 7% increase for junior employees, 6.5% for mid-level employees and 6% for senior staff for 2018/2019. The second and third year increases will be on sliding scale.
The deal also includes changes to spousal housing allowances.
The announcement by Cosatu unions has forced the PSA to call off its strike action which was planned for Monday.
READ: 'Unhappy' PSA to strike following wage talks deadlock
The union’s general manager Ivan Fredericks confirmed that his union had called of the strike action as it would be a fruitless exercise.
“It will be a futile exercise. We were defeated by the majority unions who are affiliated to Cosatu. We are calling off our strike. Their decision to sign was a defeat against the interest of the public service,” Fredericks said.
But the Cosatu unions, Sadtu, Popcru, Denosa, Nehawu, Pawusa and Sama were adamant on Friday that they signed the public service wage deal in
the interest of their members.