Deadlocked public-sector unions and the government will meet next week in a special bargaining-council meeting to discuss an impasse on wage negotiations.
“It’s a special meeting,” Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) general secretary Shamira Huluman said on Thursday.
“It’s no longer part of the negotiation process as they deadlocked and went to dispute. Basically it’s a special intervention to try to break the impasse.”
The government requested the meeting to discuss the impasse on wage negotiations and the majority of labour had responded, she said.
Previous talks in the bargaining council failed with the government’s offer fixed at a 6% wage increase while the unions’ demand is 12%.
Public-sector unions have said they would take joint strike action on June 1.
The meeting will begin at noon on Monday and will be a full sitting of the council.
“The bargaining council is the best forum for parties to try and find some sort of settlement,” Huluman said.
Both parties were equal stakeholders and jointly took ownership of the bargaining council, she said.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) public-sector unions welcomed the talks, saying they had been calling for “real negotiations” to avert a national strike.
However, meaningful negotiations could only take place based on a revised offer that genuinely attempted to address union concerns and demands.
Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi was urged not to patronise unions by looking to “‘clarify’ or ‘refine'” an offer that had been completely rejected by more than one million public servants.
The unions’ programme of mass action would continue until demands were met.
The Independent Labour Caucus also welcomed the meeting.
“We will go there with an open mind to try to resolve this dispute. We’re very glad this meeting is taking place,” said chairperson Manie de Clercq.
The unions would consider an improved offer from the state that dealt with a package of issues including salary, housing, medical aid, career pathing and occupation-specific dispensations.
“They [the state] called the meeting, so they will have the first call on Monday, which hopefully will be of such a nature that it will take us forward … at least start us talking again.”
On Wednesday government chief negotiator Kenny Govender said: “The purpose of that meeting is to get around the table to find a solution to the current deadlock. We’re hoping that we can emerge with a possible solution.”
Collective bargaining involved demands from unions and proposals by employers, he said.
“At some stage you need to marry those two — both parties need to compromise.” — Sapa