The government’s final wage offer was accepted by the majority of public-service unions on Thursday, bringing an end to the longest public-service strike in South African history.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) president Noluthando Mayende Sibiya made the announcement at a press conference in Pretoria attended by all public-service unions.
She said the majority of unions signed the deal, but some will still consult with their members. Education-sector unions were not prepared to sign and will negotiate further with the government.
The majority of signatures, however, means that the government’s offer, which includes a 7,5% increase, will be implemented across the whole public service. The deal also makes provision for dismissed workers to return to work and receive a written warning instead of being fired.
Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi could on Thursday only acknowledge the calling-off of the strike. However, she expressed no opinion on the announcement that the majority of unions had accepted the government’s final wage offer.
”Government as the employer acknowledges the calling-off of the strike action by public-service unions and awaits a majority signature,” read her one-line statement.
Caucus
The unions caucused on Wednesday night at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council in Centurion, south of Pretoria. Several unions attending that meeting said they were ready to suspend the strike, and some indicated that they were ready to accept the government’s final offer.
”We have a mandate from our members to suspend the strike. We will obviously want do that together with other unions. We will wait tomorrow [Thursday] for the meeting with other unions. Hopefully at that stage something will happen,” said Manie de Clerq, general secretary of the Public Servants’ Association, on Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, delegates at the Nehawu congress indicated they would accept the state’s pay offer. Most delegates at the congress in Pretoria voiced support for a motion to sign the pay deal and call off the strike.
Last week, on Friday, the government tabled its final offer, including a 7,5% wage increase for this year. It gave unions 21 days to accept or reject the proposal. The move also suspended wage talks and the efforts to solve the impasse through mediation.
Should the deadline have passed without the majority of union members signing the deal, the government would either have had to withdraw it and renegotiate, or unilaterally implement the offer. — Sapa