The government has rejected most wage and conditions of employment demands tabled by public sector labour unions at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council. Government negotiators told unions on Thursday that the state could only afford to adjust salaries as per the consumer price index (CPI) for employees on levels one to 10 and CPI minus 1% for levels 11 and 12. CPI, which is at 4.8%, is due to be revised on Wednesday. The proposed increases were not well received by unions, which want the government to increase salaries by 10% for the highest-paid workers and 12% for lowest-paid ones. The unions have also demanded the phasing out of levels 1 to 3 as they consider the amounts earned by people on those scales to be "slave wages". The government has rejected this demand too, among a list of others that include a R2,500 hike in the housing allowance and the increase and equalisation of pay progression for all public servants. Independent Labour Caucus spokesman Basil Manu...
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