Unions representing public service workers have handed over a memorandum of demands to the acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi outside the office of the National Treasury in Pretoria.
The demands include a 10% wage increase, the permanent filling of all vacant posts and the insourcing of all outsourced services among others.
Unions have given government seven days to respond to their demands, failing which workers will embark on an indefinite strike.
President of DENOSA, Simon Hlungani says, “Because we already have a certificate to strike, we will paint the city of Johannesburg red and the city of Tshwane red like this everyday if they don’t. Home Affairs will be closed, National Treasury will be closed, DPSA will be closed, now I’m telling him, even the hospitals will be closed, police stations will be closed.”
Meanwhile, various marches in support of the strike action by public service workers were held in a number of provinces across the country.
VIDEO | National Day of Action | Public servants arrive at National Treasury in Tshwane:
Earlier, unions accused the government of unilaterally implementing a 3% salary hike.
FEDUSA provincial chairperson Johnny Nwaila says, “When you enforce 3%, you are undermining the bargaining, because government is leading, if it’s happening in the government what about the private sector? The private sector will follow suit, and we just gonna be undermining the bargaining as a whole. We are here to support the public servants – to make sure that they go back to the Bargaining Council.”
