Public service union threatens to occupy government offices over wage demands

12 October 2020 - 12:29 By shonisani tshikalange
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The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) is demanding that the wage increase agreement between the government and public servants is honoured.
The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) is demanding that the wage increase agreement between the government and public servants is honoured.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE/SOWETAN

The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw), representing more than 80,000 public servants in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) for the past 20 years, will together with its members embark on a national day of action on Monday.

Nupsaw national organiser Solly Malema said they are expecting more than 500 protesters to take part in a march which will start at the office of the Gauteng premier in Johannesburg and move to Pretoria in the afternoon.

“Public servants, community health workers and others will be participating in this protest. We are expecting more than 500 people to take part.

Nupsaw is ready to fight for its members’ rights by bringing the public health care system to its knees.
Solly Malema

“If we don’t get any progress out of this, we are planning to intensify our actions, meaning we will occupy the department of public service and administration (DPSA) until our demands are met. We will occupy the premier’s office until our demands are met,” he said.

Malema said Nupsaw rejects the proposal that public servants will not receive wage increases until at least 2024, and has several other demands that need to be resolved by government.

“We are going to demonstrate to demand the implementation of clause 3.3 of the PSCBC resolution 1 of 2018, which talks about public servant wage increases for the period 2020/21. We are saying they must fill vacant positions within departments and stop using the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to exploit workers,” he said.

Malema said they will occupy government departments until their demands are heard and met.

“Nupsaw is ready to fight for its members’ rights, those who are at the forefront of the Covid-19 pandemic, by bringing the public health care system to its knees until government implements the public service employee’s salary increases as per the signed PSCBC agreement.”

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