Pay hike for civil servants 'insulting'

Pretoria - The Public Servants Association (PSA) has declared a wage dispute with the government after wage negotiations deadlocked.

The employer improved its offer by an "insignificant" 0.1% to 5.3% across the board while workers wanted 11%, PSA deputy general manager Manie de Clercq said in a statement on Friday.

"The employer is settling on substantial increases in other sectors of government such as the transport sector, but public servants are left out in the cold. We were shocked by this insignificant move of only 0.1%."

The public service and administration ministry said talks with the union were continuing.

"Negotiations are still on. We cannot go beyond that and divulge the contents thereof," spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba said.

"The dispute is part of negotiations and it would be unwise to say when we expect to reach an agreement."

The PSA, which represents more than 210 000 public servants, said it had high expectations the employer would take workers' demands seriously and significantly improve its offer.

Workers also wanted to see improvements in service benefits, such as increasing medical subsidies and the housing allowance from R500 to R1 650 per month.

De Clercq said the government contended the union's demands were unreasonable, but the average public servant in lower and middle echelons couldn't afford to buy a decent home.

"By offering only a 0.1% real increase, the state as employer is contributing to poverty as the public service is the single largest workplace in our country."

Workers were not contemplating striking yet and hoped to resolve the matter within 30 days.

De Clercq said the PSA was open to further discussions, but added that should the government not improve its offer and the housing allowance, it could not prevent its members from striking.

The SA Policing Union (Sapu) also declared a wage dispute on Thursday night and expressed its dismay at the "attitude" of government negotiators in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council.

The government proposed a 5.2% wage offer, while workers wanted 11%.

"There's no way that we can go to members with such an insult. This is totally unacceptable. We call upon the government to be an
exemplary employer," general secretary Joseph Matam said in a statement.

- Sapa