Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi took a swipe at trade unions representing more than a million public servants, accusing them of bad faith bargaining and complaining that some union chiefs did not understand the government’s pay offer.
In an exclusive interview in Johannesburg, Fraser-Moleketi insisted that the government would not shift from its revised offer of 6% and warned that essential-service workers who went on strike faced harsh action.
She said she had contacted the 16 unions in the public-service bargaining chamber for bilateral meetings next week to explain the government’s package. The eight unions — affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and representing about 600Â 000 workers — had agreed to meet her en bloc.
On Thursday, the Cosatu unions and several independent workers’ bodies jointly announced plans for nationwide marches in major cities on Friday.
Other marches are planned for next week in a build-up to an indefinite strike scheduled for June 1. The unions have indicated that some workers in essential services will join the strike.
Fraser-Moleketi appeared unmoved by the mounting dissidence, saying she was confident services would not be adversely affected.
”We have made appropriate arrangements to deal with the implications of a protracted strike,” she said. ”We have communicated with all the executive authorities at national and provincial level. All accounting officers, human resources departments and the directors general have been instructed to take appropriate measures to lessen the strike’s effects.
”We have also put in place measures to ensure that we apply the provision of no work, no pay.”
Fraser-Moleketi hit out at union leaders for negotiating in bad faith by refusing to shift from their initial 12% demand. Three weeks ago, the state raised its offer from an initial 5,3%.
”Organised labour hasn’t moved, and it’s really difficult for us to get things off where we are if there is no movement from them. This is unprecedented in recent public service negotiations. Normally, at the end of the 30 days after a dispute has been declared, we reach a mutual agreement to continue conciliation.
”We recommended that to the conciliator, but the unions were quite steadfast in demanding a certificate to strike.”
Fraser-Moleketi said she believed some union leaders did not fully understand the government’s offer.
”When one looks at the comprehensive package we have on the table, we’re talking much more than six percent. In value, for certain workers, it will be more than 12%,” she said. ”If you look at the 6% offer, we clearly said first and foremost we need to ensure we have an inflation- linked increase so that public servants do not experience a loss of income.
”We have also put on the table an occupation-specific dispensation, which aims to improve the public service’s ability to attract and retain skills. This is outside normal public-service salaries. It takes into account experience and the competencies required for a career path, which has been largely absent in these sectors.”
For senior civil servants at level eight and higher, she said, ”we are not doing that well, and that’s where we want to make improvements”.
The ”occupation-specific” regime would ensure that some employees would receive salary hikes of more than 50%. Such a system had already been put in place for police.
Fraser-Moleketi said the government also aimed to entrench proper pay progression, with a closer link between pay rises and performance.
Included in the state package are a 25% increase in danger and night-shift allowances and double payments for weekend work and public holidays.
These benefits, she said, would cover about 80% of the workforce, including teachers, social workers and prison staff. In addition, all state employees with more than 20 years’ service would receive a 100% increase.
She said the total union claim, which also includes increases in the housing subsidy and medical aid, would cost the state R200-billion a year.
She rejected union assertions that the government was violating public servants’ choice by restricting members to the state employee medical-aid scheme. ”I thought people were worried about privatisation, and here they are saying we don’t want this one!
”I’m quite concerned about it, because this medical aid reaches uncovered public servants at the lowest level — they pay nothing at all. Some 300Â 000 state employees do not have medical aid and the government wanted to ensure that they were covered.”
Meanwhile, Cosatu’s health-sector union, Nehawu, said this week that it would not be intimidated by Fraser-Moleketi’s threats against its members.
”Nehawu (and other public service unions) remain steadfast and resolute in our demand of a 12% increase, the narrowing of the wage-gap and the filling of all vacant posts in the public services,” it said.
Nehawu said the government’s occupation-specific dispensation ”is far below the 12% workers are demanding and it will only accommodate a few workers”.