Nehawu says several SARS offices will remain closed due to strike action

The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has reminded the public that several SARS offices will remain closed on Wednesday as its members proceed with official strike action.

Nehawu and the Public Servants Association are demanding a 7% wage increase across the board.

NEHAWU’s president Mike Shingange says, “Over the past weekend, once we started the notice for a strike, SARS came to offer a 1.3% plus some gratuity, to which workers did not agree and that is why the strike is proceeding. There are marches to the National Treasury and the headquarters to the SARS offices.

“It is going to affect the public. We are also planning to make sure we withdraw our labour from the ports of entry – the ones that deal with counterfeit goods. Obviously and unfortunately, the public is going to be affected but we are not the only ones that are going to take responsibility for that. We must blame those who provoked workers by offering a zero percent increase in the first instance.”

NEHAWU briefs the media on the upcoming SARS strike:

PSA to march to SARS head offices 

Meanwhile, the Public Servants Association (PSA) says its members employed by the South Africa Revenue Service are due to march to the SARS head offices in Gauteng and National Treasury.

The PSA’s Spokesperson Reuben Maleka says, “Today, in the full-blown strike, we will be marching in Pretoria – going to the Treasury – and from there we will be going to the SARS’ head office in Brooklyn. In all provinces, there will be industrial action – including all ports of entry such as the O.R. Tambo Airport and Maseru Bridge. All of those will be totally shut down.”