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KZN Sassa offices affected by strike

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Services at several Sassa offices in KwaZulu-Natal have been affected as workers affiliated to the Public Servants Association are embarking on a strike.

The action relates largely to salary negotiations and other factors like leave, pension and housing allowances.

Sassa KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, Vusi Mahaye, says the eThekwini and KwaDukuza offices have been the most affected.

Mahaye explains some of the demands under discussion: “It pertains in relation to the working conditions and also salaries. They claim there is a change of working conditions caused by the employer. Secondly that there is a moratorium which makes some of the offices or units to have lesser staff responsible for work to be done.”

Meanwhile, PSA manager in KwaZulu-Natal, Claude Naicker, says to date the employer has not engaged with the union regarding all the demands.

Striking Sassa workers are due to return to work on Wednesday while negotiations continue. Services should resume in full.

“As of last year Sassa has its on bargaining entity. We’ve been pressuring the department to come to the table to actually negotiate with us. What has compounded the matter is that the employer has not even come to the bargaining chamber at all to say listen they are happy or not with the demands. Whatever salary increases that was fine for the public service as a whole the minister simply unilaterally implemented it or intends implementing it for Sassa employees,” says Naicker.

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