The Public Servants Association (PSA) and other public service sector unions have taken their grievances to parliament during a march in Cape Town on Friday.
This despite the government not showing signs of backing down on its proposed 3% pay increase and a continued R1 000 cash gratuity until March for all the workers in the public service.
The PSA, the largest politically non-affiliated trade union for public servants in the country, is demanding a 10% pay hike and is accusing the government of refusing to engage further on the matter.
The Friday march in Cape Town follows several industrial action by members of the PSA, unions affiliated to Cosatu, and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union in other parts of the country in October and November.
“Public servants’ pensions are stagnating, vacancies are not being filled, meaning that they [public servants] are required to perform the duties of employees who have resigned and retired, which denies South Africans service delivery they are entitled to,” the PSA said.
“There are thousands of vacancies in the public service that government refuses
to fill while unemployment continues to soar. Citizens deserve better and the PSA trusts that the public will understand and support public servants’ plight and resulting actions.”
According to the PSA, the government has concluded the 2022/2023 salary negotiations’ round, and has encouraged the unions to table new 2023/2024 salary demands for negotiation.
However, the PSA said the unions will not start negotiating for the 2023/2024 salaries until the current wage impasse has been resolved, stating that until then, the unions will intensify their programme of action.
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