Government Strike

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Over 1.3 million public service employees are set to strike over wage dispute.

South Africa will plunge into a serious crisis if workers' demands are not met and Government services would be severely affected if the dispute was not resolved urgently.

Cosatu members and the Independent Labour Caucus went on strike this week to demand better wages.

Last week unions rejected the government's revised wage offer of a seven percent pay increase and a R630 housing allowance, as well as a 1.5 percent fixed pay progression.

Workers wanted an 8.6 percent wage increase and a R1000 housing allowance, backdated to April 1.


Update

On August 18, 2010 the strike continue as public unions reject offer.

Both the National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) have rejected the government's wage offer, setting the stage for a lengthy strike that will result in the closure of schools and severely limit hospital services however minimum services would be maintained at hospitals.


This altogether represents all 19 public sector unions totalling 1.3 million public service workers including about 500 000 workers, with Sadtu representing more than two thirds of the country's teachers.


Sadtu said it would embark on a "full scale indefinite strike" that would include a total shutdown of institutions until government responds.


The government upped the monthly housing allowance to R700 from the R630 previously offered, compared with the current R500. The offer of a 7 percent wage increase was unchanged. Unions want an 8.6 percent pay rise and R1 000 a month housing allowance.


The strike will result in lost time in the public sector affecting the private sector and South Africa will forego a few percentage points on gross domestic product growth.


The bad news is that the strike comes barely a week before Grade 12 students are due to sit for their trial examinations on August 24.

To exacerbate the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) representing the motor industry said on Wednesday it plans strike action in the motor industry, involving garages, workshops and parts suppliers after Numsa reached a deadlock in wage talks with the Retailers Motor Industry (RMI) and Fuel Retailers Association (FRA), and it threatens to add to the ongoing industrial action in the automotive industry.

On August 12, about 31 000 workers in the vehicle manufacturing sector downed tools, stalling production for domestic vehicle manufacturers.


Numsa represents 70 000 employees working in garages, components and workshops.


Update 2


The strike continuous nevertheless that government will unilaterally implement its seven percent wage offer to public servants. 


The South African government unilaterally signed the draft wage deal for the public sector and indicated it would implement this deal in three weeks time.


The signing comes the day after public service unions warned the government against this unilateral move.


The department said the offer will be on the table for 21 days in which labour can make a decision to sign it and failing that, it will be "implementable.


The government is offering a 7 percent wage increase and R700 a month housing allowance, but the unions are insisting on an 8.6 percent wage increase and R1 000 housing allowance.


Mugwena Maluleke, who was speaking on behalf of Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliated unions said on the unions had advised government not to unilaterally sign the deal, noting that this would anger members even more.

Final update

Public service unions sign wage offer  
October 20, 2010

Public service unions capitulated last night and signed the wage offer made by the government last month to break a stalemate that ended a 21-day strike.


Yesterday 66 percent of union members signed the wage settlement offer of a 7.5 percent salary increase and R800 housing allowance.


A total of 50.1 percent union representation had been required to implement the government's offer.


Unions belonging to the Independent Labour Caucus (ILC), which has 460 000 members, helped to achieve the majority mandate after signing yesterday.


Ten ILC unions signed yesterday while the 11th, Hospersa, is expected to sign. Seven of the eight Cosatu-affiliated unions, with the exception of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), signed the offer.


Yesterday, Dumisani Nkwamba, the spokesman for the Department of Public Service and Administration, said the minister was pleased that the majority of unions had accepted the offer.

The new offer will be implemented across the state's 1.3 million employees.


The strike, which was suspended on October 6 to allow unions to mull the offer, was marred by clashes, with police using rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse protesters who sought to block patients and doctors from entering state hospitals.


Soldiers were deployed to fill in for some health-care workers.


The government has said that paying more would affect its ability to deliver services and hire personnel as wages already accounted for about a third of state spending.