Public service unions are working on their next national day of action and plans for a total shutdown. This follows the government’s failure to respond to the submitted memorandum of demands over wages.
Cosatu, Fedusa and Saftu mobilised all their members in government to join a national day of action two weeks ago, with their main march having taken place in Pretoria to the Treasury.
This is where the worker’s federations gave the government seven days to respond to a memorandum of demands. They called for among others the reversal of a unilateral implementation of a 3% wage offer.
The workers want 10%.
The document also called on the government to return to the bargaining council in a bid to bridge the impasse and to employ more public sector workers.
SAFTU spokesperson Trevor Shaku explains, “SAFTU, COSATU and FEDUSA have not received a response to the memorandum sent to Treasury and the department of public administration. In the meantime, we are planning pickets and demonstrations in various cities in Durban, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. These pickets will take place between the 6th and 9th of December and thereafter we will consider another day of action further. We have served a section 77 notice and in the meantime, workers are still committed to the 10% and reject 3% and this is in the context of the rising inflation, interest rate which has made the living conditions for workers very expensive.”
Public servants vow to shut down services if their demands are not met:
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