Government workers threaten ‘total shutdown’ for higher pay

Public service & administration acting minister Thulas Nxesi had to duck for cover as angry marchers hurled missiles at him during a national march to the National Treasury in Tshwane on Tuesday to demand above-inflation pay increases.

Leaders of public service unions affiliated to labour federations Cosatu, Fedusa, and the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) warned they would embark on a strike on December 2 should the government not respond to workers’ demands for a pay hike of 10% within seven days, 

They said the “total shutdown” would affect almost all government services, with the police, nurses, and other departmental officials expected to down tools.

“We have already issued a notice at Nedlac [the National Economic Development and Labour Council]; it’s up to them to invite the total shutdown or block it,” said Simon Hlungwani, convener of Cosatu’s joint mandating committee, who is also president of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa).

The unions also demanded an end to austerity measures, the permanent employment of community health workers, teacher assistants and reservists; the filling of all vacant posts, and insourcing of outsourced services, among other things.

Marchers booed Nxesi when he received a list of workers demands and he was forced to take evasive action when objects were thrown at him.

On the march

Tuesday’s march in Tshwane — there were eight others held across the country — comes after the recent deadlock in negotiations at the public service co-ordinating bargaining council (PSCBC), which resulted in several public service unions receiving strike certificates.

The protests follow Nxesi’s implementation the government’s final offer of a 3% increase as per the numbers contained in finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s medium-term budget policy statement on October 26.

The public service unions demanded a 10% increase at the start of negotiations in May, but lowered the amount to 6.5% in line with the Reserve Bank’s headline inflation rate forecast for 2022.

But when Nxesi announced he would unilaterally implement the 3% offer, which includes a R1,000 after-tax cash gratuity that ends in March 2023, the unions reverted to their 10% demand.

The government is trying to rein in the public sector wage bill — now at more than R660bn a year — to an average annual increase of 1.8%.

The marchers from various unions — including the Public Servants Association, the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), Denosa, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa), and the SA Policing Union (Sapu), held placards bearing slogans such as “Nurses work hard, treat us with respect”; “We say no to 3%”, and “Stop attack on collective bargaining”.

‘United force’

PSA president Lufuno Mulaudzi said: “We are here as a united force against this government to give us 10% ... They are pursuing the agenda of capitalists, enough is enough.”

Saftu president Ruth Ntlokotse commended workers for their and said the private sector was now copying government’s behaviour of reneging from signed wage deals. Workers are still angry after the government refused to honour the last leg of a three-year wage deal signed at the PSCBC in 2018, which it said was due to a lack of funds

In February the Constitutional Court ruled the government could back out of the deal since the unions had been “unjustifiably enriched” from the “impugned collective agreement”.

SA Communist Party general secretary Solly Mapaila condemned the government for reneging on wage agreements, saying it sent a “wrong signal” to the private sector. To loud applause, Mapaila said the government did not deserve to be voted back into power if it could not accede to workers’ basic demands.

Nehawu president Mike Shingange pointed out that the people undermining collective bargaining were former trade unionists. President Cyril Ramaphosa, Godongwana and Nxesi are former union leaders.

“We trained them so well that they are now undermining workers [and] are killing and collapsing collective bargaining,” Shingange said.

Department of public service & administration spokesperson Moses Mushi said: “We have not received service delivery disruptions, all public servants are at their work posts. Those who are not, the no work no pay will apply.”

Marchers refused to give Nxesi an opportunity to respond to the list of demands, singing derogatory songs and jeering him in scenes reminiscent of the recent Cosatu national congress were ANC chair and minerals & energy minister Gwede Mantashe was booed off the stage and prevented from addressing delegates.

Ramaphosa also felt workers' wrath earlier this year when they heckled, jeered, booed and prevented him from addressing a May Day rally in Rustenburg.

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za