A meeting between public-sector unions and the government was set to begin on Monday in order to avert a national strike over salary increases, the Star newspaper reported.
The two-day meeting, to be held at the offices of the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council, would end on Tuesday.
Public sector workers are demanding a 12% salary increase together with improved housing and medical aid benefits while the government was offering a 6% increase.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliated unions however were doubtful that an agreement would be reached.
Chief labour negotiator Shireen Pardesi said it was ”very unlikely that we will reach any settlement”.
However the government’s chief negotiator, Kenny Govender, was optimistic about the meeting.
”We have said the only way to a solution is to sit around the table and collectively thrash out the issues. I doubt there will be a resolution on Monday.” he said.
National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union Fikile Majola indicated that the planned strike was imminent if the government did not improve its offer.
”From our side, there’s no change of plan. We will continue from Monday with the demonstrations we have planned, the work-to-rule and go-slows,” Majola said.
Majola said that the go-slows were protected by law. He said if the government came up with an improved offer, negotiations would continue.
”But if there is no improved offer, we will ask our negotiators to go back to their unions,” he said.
Last Friday, tens of thousands of unionists marched in major centres countrywide to demand better pay for public servants. The protest was a prelude to the
first united national public-service strike, set for June 1. – Sapa