Public servants wage increase yet to be implemented

Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says wage increases for public servants have not yet been implemented.

This comes after Minister of Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu, said government remains committed to implementing wage increases – and will discuss the matter with labour further.

#NEHAWU rejects the misleading media statement issued by the Department of Public Service and Administration [DPSA] on the implementation of the last leg of the 2018 Public Service Wage Agreement especially Clause 3.3 of Resolution 1 of 2018 @thedpsa @TeamNews24 @eNCA @Fin24 pic.twitter.com/iPsraaTpNF

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) April 1, 2020

In a statement, Mchunu stressed that the economy is facing pressure due to the coronavirus pandemic – as well as being downgraded to junk status by the ratings agency, Moody’s.

Government was on Wednesday, expected to implement the wage increase agreement it signed in 2018.

Cosatu’s chief negotiator for public sector unions, Mugwena Maluleke, says government has not honoured their agreement.

”It has not been effected as of yesterday and the process is that the employer has not honoured the collective agreement. They are insisting that they wanted to have discussions with us, even though we closed the discussion last week and they still want to engage with labour.”

”They didn’t honour their agreement, as it stands. We have referred the dispute to the bargaining council and therefore a legal process will follow.”

”Therefore the matter will have to be conciliated and then if we are not able to agree we have to go to an arbitration.”