It looks like the South African Revenue Service (Sars) is gearing up for a major fight this week, following threats by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) to mobilise members to shut down Sars after wage negotiations hit an impasse.
According to a message on social media, Nehawu said the shutdown will commence on Tuesday, after rejecting a proposed wage increase of 1.39 percent.
“On June 3, 2022 a meeting was convened with Sars to push the employer on improving its offer, however, that meeting did not yield any positive results. Instead, Sars made it categorically clear that the position tabled to Nehawu on May 29, 2022 has not changed and remains final,” a statement said.
“The national union has since then been consulting its members through convening membership meetings, shop steward councils in all workplaces of Sars which culminated to the national meeting held on Friday July 8, 2022 for a mandate on the way forward.”
Nehawu said it has resolved the following:
- The union rejects the revised offer of 1.39 percent.
- The national union will mobilise for a re-commencement of the full-blown strike across all Sars workplaces to take the fight to the intransigent employer.
- It will intensify the strike action.
- The strike action will recommence on July 12, 2022.
“Sars has left us with no option other than to mobilise our mass power and take our battle to the streets. This is the only power that we have as workers in fighting unfair conditions of work. We have been negotiating in good faith and with much patience,” Nehawu said.
“Sars has stalled and negotiated in bad faith. It is for these reasons that as Nehawu, we cannot delay the struggle to better the working conditions of our members, and workers in general. As Nehawu, we shall do everything in our power to fight for these reasonable and achievable demands and rights of our members and workers at Sars.”
May, 2022 strike
In May, Nehawu went on a full-blown national strike demanding a wage increase from Sars.
At the time, Nehawu was demanding a 12 percent wage increase, and said they would not accept the 1.3 percent Sars was putting on the table.
Demands
“As Nehawu, we have tried to engage the institution since May, 2022 and they remained stubborn with the 1.39 percent that is way below the current inflation rate of 5.9 percent.”
Sars rejected the tabled demands which include the following:
- Salaries be adjusted using October, 2021 CPI of 5 percent + 7 percent, across the board for employees within the Bargaining Unit.
- A single-term agreement and implementation date of April 1, 2022.
- Full and equal medical aid and housing allowance for all employees.
- An introduction of pandemic leave of 10 working days’ per annum.
- A R2 000 gift (token of appreciation) to all employees.
- Pay progression – an annual adjustment upwards on the applicable pay band of 1.5 percent, where the employee has met the required performance standard.
BUSINESS REPORT