“The protest links to the issue of the implementation of the 3% unilaterally implemented by government last year, against the backdrop of a majority of the unions having rejected that at the bargaining council. Workers are coming out to voice their dissatisfaction about how government has treated them,” said Nkolisi.
The spokesperson said the union wanted Godongwana to address the plight of the working class.
“We are expecting government to move away from implementing austerity measures. We are expecting them to put in place mechanisms to address the dire situation public servants find themselves in. We are expecting the minister of finance to announce proposals that we have put to government, to address demands we have put to the government,” he said.
Nkolisi said if the government and the minister fail to address the issues, unions are gearing up to continue their fight.
He said Wednesday’s demonstration is a launching pad for a public sector strike.
“Today we are going to issue a strike notice,” he said, adding the date on which it would commence would be announced later.
TimesLIVE
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Public sector unions picket at Treasury offices in Tshwane over wage demands
Image: Shonisani Tshikalange/TimesLIVE
About 100 public servants affiliated to the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and other public sector unions have gathered outside the National Treasury office in Pretoria before finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech on Wednesday afternoon.
Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolisi said workers gathered to voice their dissatisfaction with austerity measures introduced by the Treasury.
The government implemented a 3% pay hike for the country’s 1.3-million public servants in 2022. Business Day reported that for 2023/2024, it is proposing a 4.7% pay increase on a sliding scale in year one, with increases in line with the consumer price index in the second and third years.
Eight public sector unions are asking for a 10% increase, a R2,500 housing allowance and bursary schemes to be extended to children of public servants who are excluded, TimesLIVE reported previously.
“The protest links to the issue of the implementation of the 3% unilaterally implemented by government last year, against the backdrop of a majority of the unions having rejected that at the bargaining council. Workers are coming out to voice their dissatisfaction about how government has treated them,” said Nkolisi.
The spokesperson said the union wanted Godongwana to address the plight of the working class.
“We are expecting government to move away from implementing austerity measures. We are expecting them to put in place mechanisms to address the dire situation public servants find themselves in. We are expecting the minister of finance to announce proposals that we have put to government, to address demands we have put to the government,” he said.
Nkolisi said if the government and the minister fail to address the issues, unions are gearing up to continue their fight.
He said Wednesday’s demonstration is a launching pad for a public sector strike.
“Today we are going to issue a strike notice,” he said, adding the date on which it would commence would be announced later.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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