Some of the country’s lowest paid doctors will receive up to a 53% pay increase, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Outlining the various packages still being negotiated at the Public Service Bargaining Council, Motsoaledi told a press conference the government did not have enough money to increase doctors’ salaries by 50% across-the-board.
The new packages would cost the government more than R1-billion and would be implemented as of July 1, if accepted by the South African Medical Association, which represents most public sector doctors.
Briefing what he referred to as an ”extraordinary” press conference, he said the lowest paid would probably be interns.
Their increase would range between 31% and 53%. This would increase their existing pay package, of between R205 604 and R239 744, to about R314 023.
The proposal for community services doctors would see them get about R392 599 instead of R330 226 — an increase of between 9,8% and 18,9%.
Registrars packages would increase from about R330 226 to R528 770 — a hike of between 18,3% and 60%.
Chief specialists would receive a 29% increase, upping their salaries from R932 399 to R1,2-million.
Principle specialists would receive a 25,1% increase from R369 271 to R962 174.
The government hoped its revised offer would halt further protests by doctors, Motsoaledi said.
”This is abnormal, we were pressed to clear the air. We are [normally] not allowed to announce our offer while the negotiations are continuing,” he said.
The department was tolerating the pickets because the government had delayed the implementation of the occupation specific dispensation.
He said there were many reasons for salary discrepancies for doctors, among them the scarce skills shortage.
He explained that in some areas, junior doctors had been appointed to senior level and paid at that level because no doctors were available to service such areas. — Sapa