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The latest agreement suggests that more than one million civil servants should receive a one-time pensionable salary adjustment of at least 1.5% and monthly non-pensionable cash allowances of up to R1695.
FILE: Workers protest as public sector unions seek a wage deal on May 19, 2015. Photo: EWN
JOHANNESBURG – The majority of public sector unions have yet to decide how to proceed after rejecting the government’s latest proposed agreement on wage adjustments.
The latest agreement suggests that more than one million civil servants should receive a one-time pensionable salary adjustment of at least 1.5% and monthly non-pensionable cash allowances of up to R1695.
Eyewitness News understands that the majority of unions disagreed with the proposed wage settlement as it failed to raise workers’ base wages.
Many unions, including the largest organization in the sector – the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) – affiliated with the National Union of Education, Health and Allied Workers (Nehawu) – were also complaining that workers had not received a salary increase last year.
READ: Majority public sector unions reject latest government pay offer
Other details included in the proposed deal, which Eyewitness News saw, include a biennial salary increase of 3% which will apply to employees who qualify in terms of sectoral agreements.
Payments would be divided by 1.5% payments between this year and 2022.
Sources involved in the talks said the only unions that agreed to the terms contained in the proposal were the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), the Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) and the National Professional Teachers’ Organization of South Africa (Naptosa).
This means that unions, including the Civil Rights Union of Police and Prisons (Popcru), the Civil Servants Association (PSA), the South African Police Union (Sapu) and the Democratic Organization of South African nurses (Denosa) rejected the deal.
The unions initially demanded wage increases of 7%.
Meanwhile, the national treasury has warned that the proposed wage deal will cost around R20 billion, exceeding the pay cap.
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