[LISTEN] If government's coffers aren't diluted there may be money to pay workers who were at the forefront during the pandemic & current struggle, & haven't received an increase in 3 yrs: Jannie Oosthuizen, Public Servants Association of SA. podcast
The big focus right now as we lead to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday is the public wage bill and what happens to it? Government and unions right now are on opposite sides of the fence in terms of how much public-sector wages will increase, and unions are threatening to strike if they don’t get their way. For more on this story I am joined by Jannie Oosthuizen, who is the manager for labour relations at the PSA [Public Servants Association of South Africa].
Well, if we can reach a deal, which is very unlikely given the current situation and the current circumstances, as we as PSA have tried everything in our power, actually the entire labour [force] has tried everything in its power to convince the employer to provide us with a specific safety clause in order to protect the cash gratuity.
So what are you saying? You’re saying that government has said that they’re implementing a 3% wage increase, whether you like it or not – take it or leave it kind of style. Well, we totally deny the narrative to say that they cannot afford it, because it’s already there. In terms of the resolution that was signed in 2021, the R1 000 cash gratuity will continue until such a time that there’s a new agreement in place. They have budgeted for that. The money is there, so it will not cost them anything more. So it’s very strange to us [that they] actually to try and sell that narrative to the public.
In the event that there’s still a block in terms of this R1 000 gratuity, I know and I have read that the PSA would be willing to forfeit the gratuity in favour of a 6% increase in wages. Can you confirm whether that’s correct?