South Africa is heading for another major strike, this time by members of the Public Services Association (PSA), after wage negotiations between the government and the union broke down.
The PSA has indicated that it will start picketing from Thursday, and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a full-blown stay away.
At issue is the government’s steadfast refusal to raise its salary increase offer from 3% to the PSA’s demand of 10%.
The most acrimonious dispute between the negotiating parties, however, is centred around a cash gratuity of R1 000 to R1 200 until the end of March 2023.
The PSA’s Claude Naicker has said public sector workers will be out of pocket when the gratuity runs out.
As such the PSA has dug in its heels, demanding that government change its stance.
Naicker said picketing would initially be done during lunch hours and would build up to a march planned for November 10.
Unless more is done to come to the aid of cash-strapped workers, the PSA will paralyse the sector, government has been warned.
After the recent punishing strike by transport workers employed by Transnet, it is feared that a PSA strike could further erode the country’s chances of some semblance of economic recovery in the run-up to the year’s end.
