The Public Services Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) stalled on Wednesday in Centurion when the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) felt it had not gathered enough of a mandate to sign the proposed agreement on offer by the government.
Other unions, in solidarity with Cosatu, have apparently agreed to postpone the signing of the R28-billion offer until next Wednesday.
Public Servants Association general manager Anton Louwrens said that while some unions had been prepared to sign, Cosatu had asked for a postponement.
However, the wage dispute ”technically” came to an end on Wednesday after Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi signed an increase proposal.
”Technically we have all agreed to sign the paper,” said Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union secretary general Abby Witbooi.
The minister agreed to give public servants a 6,2% wage increase and CPIX plus a 0,4% increase in years two and three of the three-year agreement.
”According to the Constitution of the PSCBC, the unions have 21 days to agree or disagree, but they have basically agreed,” the minister said.
The secretary general of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw), Success Mataitsane, still believes signing the agreement would be a major sell-out of union members.
He said he was urging the other unions to stand firm against government pressure.
Naming the capping of the housing subsidy and the policy that will force all public servants to join a medical-aid scheme as the two major points of contention, Mataitsane said he will stand alone even if all the other unions decide to sign.
Nehawu protest
Earlier reports said the possible signing of a wage deal between unions and the state provoked a demonstration by 50 diehards on Wednesday afternoon.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members gathered outside the PSCBC in protest.
The union’s Gauteng chairperson, Paul Motshega, said the group was not happy that Nehawu had agreed to the revised 6,2% wage increase offered by Fraser-Moleketi.
”We want 7% and a R29-billion package,” he said, while his supporters toyi-toyied outside the council.
Fraser-Moleketi on Sunday revised the state’s wage offer following nationwide protests last Thursday by an estimated 800 000 public servants. — Sapa