The provincial manager of the Public Servants Association said lunchtime pickets would continue across the Northern Cape, while a provincial march would proceed to the Premier’s Office on Thursday.
PUBLIC Servants Association (PSA) members embarked on lunchtime pickets outside the Department of Home Affairs on Tuesday.
PSA provincial manager Steve Ledibane said lunchtime pickets would continue across the province on Wednesday while a provincial march would proceed to the Premier’s Office on Thursday.
“The PSA’s industrial action follows after government failed to table reasonable salary increase offer for public servants,” said Ledibane.
He stated that civil servants have not received a decent increase since 2019.
“Our members’ pensions are stagnating. The union is demanding an annual increase of 10 percent. The employer unilaterally approved a three percent increase when the majority of unions rejected this offer. The inflation rate is at least 7.4 percent and the decision to implement the initial offer serves to undermine the bargaining collective.
“The PSA tried everything in its power to avoid industrial action, despite provocation by an uncaring employer that disrespects workers during negotiations. Political office-bearers were offered a three percent salary increase, backdated for two years, while public servants, earning meagre salaries, were at the time offered 1.5 percent.”
Ledibane advised members of the public to avoid visiting government offices due to protest action.
“Workers have been used as scapegoats for unabated looting and corruption orchestrated by politicians. Vacancies are not being filled, resulting in departments operating with a skeleton staff and thus denying citizens professional service delivery. There are more than 45,000 vacancies that government refuses to fill whilst unemployment levels are soaring.”
Ledibane added that pickets, protests action, stay-aways and marches would be held across the country, including the Northern Cape.
“The industrial action, apart from raising dissatisfaction with poor salary increases for public servants and the abuse of collective bargaining, also condemns corruption, the high cost of living and load shedding. Citizens deserve better and the PSA trusts that members of the public will share an understanding of public servants’ plights and resulting actions.”
