Cracks emerged in a crippling public-sector strike on Monday after two unions representing about 160 000 members withdrew from one of the largest mass actions in post-apartheid South Africa.
The Health and Other Services Personnel Union (Hospersa) accused the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which is spearheading the three-week protest, of pursuing a political agenda in the strike over pay.
”We believe that the offer that the government has put on the table is a fantastic offer for us but we also believe that the strike is now pursuing a political agenda,” Hospersa president Gavin Moultrie told Reuters.
”What was a mature wage dispute weeks ago has now been turned into a political game by the leadership of Cosatu and Sadtu [South African Democratic Teachers’ Union] and we won’t be a part of that … they are being greedy and opportunistic,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of workers have taken part in the strike that has highlighted deep divisions in the alliance between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and its powerful trade-union allies.
Unions, which collectively represent about 60% of the country’s nearly one million public servants, accuse President Thabo Mbeki of promoting big business and leaving behind millions of poor South Africans.
Hospersa and the National Professional Teachers’ Union (Naptosa) said their combined total of 160 000 workers would go back to work as other unions consulted their members before talks with the government aimed at ending the dispute resume on Wednesday.
Naptosa president Dave Balt told Reuters the union had pulled out of the strike, which has crippled mostly hospitals and schools.
The government, which fears a dramatic wage hike would crowd out other spending, has tabled a final proposal of 7,5% and said unions could take it or leave it.
South Africa’s central bank has warned a large wage increase would further fuel inflation and raise the prospect of more interest-rate hikes.
Economists say it is difficult to count the lost productivity in Africa’s biggest economy, but some estimate it may be as high as R3-billion.
Pure coincidence
Meanwhile, it is pure coincidence that the postponed labour meeting to decide on the public-service dispute will coincide with the start of the ANC policy conference on Wednesday, said Cosatu on Sunday.
Cosatu president Willie Madisha said there will be no wage deal with the government until at least Wednesday.
”No unions will be signing any agreement with the government until they have completed the process of consulting with their membership. The consultations will continue over the next three days,” he said at the Public Service Coordination Bargaining Council in Pretoria.
Madisha was speaking after a meeting between Cosatu-affiliated and non-Cosatu public-service unions. He said the unions will caucus on Wednesday night, but that it is pure coincidence that the time coincides with the start with the ANC conference.
”The problem we have is a labour one; it is between us as a trade-union movement and the government, not the ANC per se as an organisation. Of course the ANC is the leader of government, but it must be seen as a labour-employer problem,” he stated.
It is understood that the labour caucus was specifically arranged for Wednesday night to give the Cosatu leadership a chance to attend the policy conference, and for members of the National Health and Allied Workers’ Union to attend their national conference. — Reuters, Sapa