The strike season is fast approaching after the joint mandating committee (JMC) of the public sector trade unions tabled a 10% salary hike demand for workers in the sector.
The JMC, which is organised under Cosatu, commands the majority at the public service coordinating bargaining council.
It noted that the 10% increase demand is informed by the impact of global and domestic instability of inflation on workers, saying workers in the public service are struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
On top of the 10% pay hike in the cost-of-living adjustment (Cola), the JMC also demands R2 500 for workers’ housing allowance, arguing that the majority of the workers are being denied decent housing by the banks while also not qualifying for the RDP houses.
In a statement this week, JMC convener Simon Hlungwani said: “The cost of housing has escalated and public servants are forced into rental options. Our demand for R2 500 increase in allowance is mainly informed by the affordability of housing in South Africa.”
He said the demand for the provision of housing to ordinary public servants remained a sore point in the struggle for dignity, noting that many public servants remain homeless even after signing a resolution on government employee housing scheme in 2015.
According to the JMC, the workers are battling with multiple increases in commodities including fuel prices that rose to a record 33.2% year on year (April 2021 to March 2022), while between February and March 2022 the increase was at 7.2%.
“The escalating inflation, which has been forecast at 5.9% by Stats SA and at 8.1% by the IMF [International Monetary Fund], warrants a justifiable higher than inflation demand, especially on Cola. Considering this 5.9% inflation means that our demands will culminate into a real increase of 3.1% above inflation.”
Maintaining that these demands are “reasonable, affordable and achievable”, Hlongwani said the JMC has committed to defend the public servants at all costs.
“We are conscious of the reality of a new economic austerity policy trajectory, which is being advanced by the employer even against the legitimate demands of workers, who continue to serve the public with all diligence.”
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