Seven unions declare strike on Tuesday, essential services to be disrupted as 800 000 expected to down tools

Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)

Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Nov 18, 2022

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Durban – Workers in the public sector are not happy about government implementation of a 3% baseline increase in wages.

Seven unions, representing almost 800 000 workers, have vowed to take action.

According to reports in News24, they have vowed to disrupt services in hospitals and courts, in a national day of action on Tuesday.

They said the strike action would include marching to the National Treasury in Pretoria.

They vowed that this would affect all nine provinces, News24 reported.

Prisons and Civil Rights Union, deputy president Khehla Masemola said the unions rejected the 3% baseline increase, News24 reported.

Masemola called Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's remarks during his medium-term budget speech on the public wage an insult.

He told News24 that the union observed with disdain as the government made jokes in Parliament about assisting workers.

The unions’ leaders are expected to address the media at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council offices in Centurion to announce their planned strike, according to “Pretoria News”.

The Young Communist League of SA is the latest SACP component structure to attack the government for dragging its feet in dealing with the dispute, Pretoria News reported.

During the first strike, National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi said workers needed to fight for a better wage increase because there wasn’t one in 2020.

“They continue to suffer non-growth on their pensions due to the effects of non-pensionable cash allowance for the second year in running,” the “Cape Times” reported.

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