Issued by: Ministry for Public Service and Administration
7 July 1999
We regret the decision of the COSATU affiliated public sector unions to announce a programme of protest on the current salary negotiations. We particularly regret the disruption of service delivery that may result from these actions. Government is of the firm view that the issues in negotiations are not intractable.
We are in fact pleased that the unions indicate our common commitment to the transformation of the public service in order to develop more equitable conditions of service as well as appropriate management of labour relations.
Government plans to table a wage policy and a new salary progression system. We call on labour to give us more specific proposals in this regard. The public service employs over a million people and it will take time to develop and consult on appropriate proposals. The development of the wage policy will indeed contribute some way towards appropriate pay progression and career pathing. It will also contribute towards providing guidelines on average increases as well as maximum and minimum salaries. Due to the complex nature of the current inequitable pay progression system we expect to finalise these processes by December 1999.
With regard to the current question of salary increases, the current demand of a 10% increase is inappropriate in a context where non personnel expenditure has been declining over the last three years. In fact, a number of service areas such as housing, health, welfare and education have, because of resources, received increases of less than the inflation rate. As such, the unions' demand would inevitably mean cuts in already under-resourced services. We are certain that no public servant, union or citizen wants government to stop programmes aimed at building a better life for all.
Government has proposed increases valued at R3 billion. We are convinced that if we work constructively together to structure the allocation of these funds, we can go much further in finding a solution that will satisfy employees without undermining the services offered to the public. We hence call on the unions to return to the bargaining chamber.
Issued by: Ms. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi; Minister for Public Service and Administration.
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