The South African Revenue Service (SARS) workers affiliated to the Public Servants Association (PSA) and trade union National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in Limpopo have joined their colleagues nationwide who have embarked on an indefinite wage strike.
Workers are demanding a 12% wage increase, while the employer is offering 1.3%.
Operations at all SARS offices in Limpopo, including at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe have been affected.
Members of the public cannot access tax services.
Limpopo PSA organiser Lawrence Muvhango says, “It can’t be correct and it can’t be right, that from the same coffers, from the same fiscus there are others that are getting 7% and others are getting 3%, like the judges and the parliamentarians.”
“This time around, the employer cannot plead poverty. That shows that the employer has got lots of money – the 1.39% that SARS is offering is an insult to us. We are demanding 7% on top of the inflation which brings us to about 12%,” adds Muvhango.
The video below is reporting on the SARS strike:
Meanwhile, Nehawu secretary in Limpopo, Moses Maubane, says workers are also demanding the removal of the SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter, saying management is negotiating in bad faith.
“The first and foremost demand that is the removal of the commissioner. The commissioner has shown [workers] that [it] is actually his way or no way. So, we can’t in fact at this stage work with a person who does not respect the workers.”
“The strike started sometime two weeks ago and members then came and said, let us show patriotism – let us go to work while our leaders are negotiating. But because of the arrogance of the commissioner, members realised that indeed we’re not going anywhere,” adds Maubane.
