Public servants march to the National Treasury to handover a memorandum of demands. State workers are voting on whether or not to accept the government’s 5.5% salary increase offer. File Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
GOVERNMENT employees are set to decide on whether they accept their employer’s offer of a 5.5% salary increase.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has indicated that its members, who make up about a quarter of state employees, are set to vote on whether they accept the offer from the government.
The government initially proposed a 5% salary increase as part of a multi-term agreement but increased it to 5.5% earlier this week.
Additional adjustments will be increased in line with the consumer price index (CPI), which according to Statistics South Africa increased to 3% last month.
In terms of the proposed agreement, the CPI will be capped at between 4% and 6%.
This means that if the CPI is below 4%, public servants will receive a 4% increase and should it be above 6%, the increase will be 6%.
The CPI between 4% and 6 % will be that actual percentage, according to the government’s offer.
Other increases include the special danger allowance from R931.82 to R950. The danger allowance was first introduced during the 1999 wage negotiations for state employees such as traffic inspectors, prison warders, and social workers.
The category of qualifying workers includes counsellors working with people in places of safety and on parole, prison educationists, nurses working with psychiatric patients, investigative and law-enforcing nature conservationists, National Institute of Communicable Diseases employees, and immigration officers, among others.
In terms of the government’s proposed offer, the housing allowance will increase from R1 784.55 to R1 900.
The PSA told its members this week that the government and unions agreed to resolve other demands through separate processes and a collective agreement.
Unions also want a death grant for public servants and a working committee will develop the framework for payment conditions within nine months.
On childcare and breastfeeding facilities, the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) will research the readiness of state departments to establish these facilities within six months.
In addition, a bursary scheme for dependents of public servants will be set up and the PSCBC will research a funding model within twelve months.
Cosatu affiliate, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), has also informed its members that this was the government’s final offer.
”Unions will have 21 days to sign or the agreement will fall off,” the union told members.
Nehawu is consulting members, and public servants’ mandates are scheduled to be consolidated at the union’s national bargaining forum next month.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za