A planned soldiers’ protest march against salaries and working conditions is irresponsible and unnecessary, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said: ”All issues that they are protesting about are being addressed and about to be finalised at the bargaining council.”
The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, said the South African National Defence Union had abandoned the bargaining chamber and other formal platforms of the department to hold an unnecessary protest march.
”It is irresponsible and in breach of national security for any in the defence family to rally people who are responsible for national security to an unnecessary protest march on issues that are being addressed by the minister and other platforms in the Department of Defence,” she said in a statement.
The minister called on the union to return immediately to the bargaining chamber and finalise all the discussions for the benefit of the soldiers.
”I want to assure the defence force staff that their conditions of service are a concern.
”We are seized with the matter and I would like to engage each one of them through the proper management structures to see how we can attend to these.
”We are considering making a request for a separate dispensation for the Department of Defence that would allow us to creatively deal with our own needs and the specificities of our own unique security requirements,” Sisulu said.
Unionised soldiers plan to march to the Union Buildings on Wednesday. — Sapa