Mchunu calls public to pitch into public sector wage negotiations

This comes after government and public servants failed to find each other in the latest negotiations.

Public unions are demanding that government honours its three-year wage agreement.  

As part of the 2018 three-year salary agreement, public sector workers would have received a CPI+1% salary increase in 2020.

However, due to the dire financial state of the country and complications brought about by Covid-19, the government said it was forced to renege on the agreement, implementing a wage freeze instead.

Mchunu hopes citizens, professionals, and civil organisations can help.

"The Minister held a media briefing last week Thursday, the 22nd of April 2021, and stated that these were the most difficult wage negotiations between the parties, which the country had ever faced and based this on a number of factors, including: the bad state of the country’s economy; COVID-19, the outcome in the Labour Appeal Court, with Organised Labour appealing the decision in the Constitutional Court, as well as the need for urgent reforms in the public service, to name a few," said Mchunu in a statement.

"Whilst government has made mention of the fact that it has appointed a lead negotiator and whilst government has since responded to Labour’s demands, the parties have reached a deadlock. A number of proposals have been put forth by experts such as economists and actuaries as well as other individuals; the viability of those proposals is being probed," he added.

Unions spear heading negotiations include affiliates of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa).

"Government is passionately keen on making further efforts to find a solution and in this regard, is inviting proposals," Mchunu said.

"Having elaborated on the 4 components which comprise the public service during the briefing, namely: the citizens, government, public service and public servants, the minister is making a call for proposals which might potentially resolve the deadlock in respect of the wage negotiations - citizens, professionals, and civil organisations are all invited to assist in resolving the deadlock by providing proposals, including, innovative ideas on how best to improve government, citizens and labour relations."

Unions have threatened to go on strike from the first week in June if government persist on tabling a 0% increase.

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