Legal battle looming over public sector wages
The Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) is expected to file papers at the Labour Court in Johannesburg on Thursday over government’s failure to honour a three-year wage agreement.
PSA is the country’s second-largest public sector union after the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).
The country’s 1.3 million public servants are heading for a battle with the government over its failure to implement the 2018 agreement.
In his budget address in February, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced drastic cuts to the public sector wage bill.
The PSA’s assistant general manager Reuben Maleka says the union has decided to go the legal route, rather than fighting it through conciliation and arbitration processes.
"We don't regard this as a matter that should be going to arbitration process, there is no dispute about interpretation or application.
"It is a simple way of saying the employer is not willing to commit to the contract that is between us and the employer in a form of a resolution.
He adds: "Hence, we are going to court to say the court must force the employer to perform specific performance in relation to the agreement, meaning that it is a contractual obligation that the employer must implement but they are not willing to implement.”