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The COSATU Central Executive Committee, currently in session, notes the current 2014/15 salary public service negotiations. COSATU has seven affiliates organising in this sector - SADTU, NEHAWU, POPCRU, DENOSA, SAMA, SASAWU and PAWUSA, representing more than 58% of the public service employees. The current agreement expires on 31st March this year; therefore, the new agreement must be implemented by 1st April.

Firstly, we are worried about the pace of these negotiations. Labour tabled salary demands in September 2014, yet to date the negotiations have not been concluded. We are disappointed by the lack of urgency from the employer.

Secondly, the employer tabled 5, 8% towards the end of last year. This offer has been on the table since then. We have just learnt that the employer has downgraded that offer to in the 4, 5% in the PSCBC on 2nd March 2015, claiming that it is the projected inflation for 2015. Since the dawn of the democratic public service collective bargaining dispensation, such bad faith negotiating has never happened. We had thought by now, labour and employer have developed trust.

We therefore call on employer to come back to PSCBC with a revised offer without much ado. If the employer fails to adhere to this call, we will act decisively.

Issued by COSATU