No reward for failing public office-bearers: Nehawu
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) says public office-bearers cannot be rewarded with salary increments for failing to govern the country properly.
This follows the recommendation that they must be given a salary increment of 3.8% after the finance ministry 'pleaded' for 1.5%.
“We would find it unethical for President Ramaphosa to agree to the recommendation amidst the challenges confronting the country, which by the way are a result of the dismal failure of Public Office Bearers to govern this country. Why should they be rewarded with a salary increment after plunging this country into the current crisis?” says Nehawu.
“We are calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to reject the recommendation by the Independent Commission for Remuneration for Public Office Bearers to give them a 3.8% increase that would be backdated to the 1st April 2022,” said the union’s spokesperson, Lwazi Nkolonzi.
Nkolonzi says government cannot approve these increases while public servants continue to suffer.
“Equally, this proposed salary increment comes after the government recently butchered workers in the concluded public service wage negotiations by offering them an increment far below the inflation rate. This forms part of the broader government program of austerity by freezing and cutting salaries of public servants in order to reduce the public service wage bill,” adds Nkolonzi.
“The current crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality has brought about miseries, pains and suffocation to workers and the working class in its entirety thereby threatening their livelihoods. The conditions of life for workers and the working class continues to get worse, and this is evident with the rising costs of basic necessities, high interest rates, job cuts and wage cuts.”
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