The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will try to keep services going during a pay strike that began on Wednesday.
The CCMA said that while it cannot guarantee services, a large number of CCMA commissioners are engaged as independent service providers and are not party to the dispute.
“The CCMA expects these commissioners to continue to provide their services and meet their contractual obligations to the institution and members of the public.”
Parties to disputes for which hearings have been scheduled should report to the CCMA office on the date and time stated in their notices, and every effort will be made to hear cases at the scheduled time.
Referrals can be posted and faxed to the CCMA as usual, and scheduled cases will not be postponed.
The strike comes after unsuccessful pay negotiations that began in April.
A CCMA spokesperson said the statutory body has offered between 6% and 12% across the board for different levels of staff with different benefits and allowances.
The spokesperson said the Commission Staff Association (CSA) is demanding between 14% and 54% for members.
He said a CSA statement that the body was only offering 5% was a “misperception”.
“We went up to 7% yesterday [Tuesday] and they declined.”
Reacting to reports that new entrants are being paid more than existing employees, he said that salaries are set according to the experience of the prospective employee.
The issue of a 13th cheque — whether it will be built into a monthly salary, or paid once a year — is “off the table”.
CSA secretary general Lekau Dibakwane said that out of 400 employees, at least 360 will be on strike.
“There will be almost no services unless those managers try to do something.” — Sapa
On the net
CCMA