PSA says most members 'tilting towards rejecting' 3% wage offer

26 September 2022 - 15:38
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The Public Servants Association says preliminary ballot results show most members reject the government's latest wage offer. Stock photo.
The Public Servants Association says preliminary ballot results show most members reject the government's latest wage offer. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/ANDRIY POPOV

The Public Servants Association (PSA) on Monday said its members appear to be rejecting the government’s latest 2022/2023 wage offer.

At the end of last month, the government tabled a final offer of a 3% pensionable salary adjustment for employees on salary levels 1 to 12, effective from April 1 2022, and continuation of the cash gratuity of R1,000 per month until March 31 next year.

The PSA represents more than 235,000 public sector employees. 

The parties agreed to a facilitation process which led to the latest offer and the PSA seeking a mandate from its members.

The union said on Monday it is finalising the results of a ballot among members and preliminary results show the offer is being rejected.  

“The PSA, as a mandate-driven, democratic union, is not yet in a position to either accept or reject the offer as results have not been finalised. Current mandating outcomes indicate that votes are tilting towards rejecting the offer,” it said.

The main reason was the lack of a guarantee for incorporating the cash gratuity into the baseline or its continuation after March 31 2023.  

“The excessive load-shedding has amplified the cost of living for public servants, while successive interest rate increases have intensified the hardships on workers already struggling to pay for transport, housing and increasing debt that arose in the absence of meaningful salary increases for the past three years.”

The offer tabled by the government will, in terms of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council’s constitution, lapse on Wednesday should it fail to enjoy majority support by unions.

“The PSA will approach government as the employer to incorporate a clause that will ensure incorporation of the cash gratuity into baseline or continuation of the cash gratuity beyond March 31 2022, which may ensure a positive members’ mandate to accept the offer.”

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