(3 minutes read)
· The South African government wants the hearing on a long-running wage dispute with state employees to be postponed to February next year. The case was due to be heard in court on today
· The case is for reneging the planned wage increase related to the final year of an agreement signed in 2018
· The South African government now plans to slash its compensation budget by R160 billion over three years as it seeks to get control of the country’s finances
· It (government) wants unions to agree for a two month deferment and hopes before the expiry of that time, some out of court settlement would emerge
The South African government wants the hearing on a long-running wage dispute with state employees to be postponed to February next year. The case was due to be heard in court today.
The request for postponement was sent by the state attorney to all related parties in the matter including members of the Public Service Co-coordinating Bargaining Council. The case is for reneging the planned wage increase related to the final year of an agreement signed in 2018. The South African government now plans to slash its compensation budget by R160 billion over three years as it seeks to get control of the country’s finances.
Government is trying to persuade the unions to try to resolve the dispute through an out of court settlement since it believes there is a “realistic prospect” to resolve the dispute, which it views as preferable to having it determined by a court ruling. It (government) wants unions to agree for a two month deferment and hopes before the expiry of that time, some out of court settlement would emerge. The government is trying to work out, calculate and then convey to the unions, the precise details of what the settlement means for the different salary levels in the bargaining unit.
One of the unions set to face the state in court- the Public Servants Association- issued a statement on Monday indicating it had engaged with the Minister of the Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu in a virtual meeting on Sunday where a proposal was made. However, the PSA said it intended to go ahead with legal processes.
