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May 27 2012 11:21
There's a price war raging between South Africa's cellphone networks after Cell C lowered the rates of its prepaid calls by more than 34%.
May 27 2012 13:09
The oversupply of golf estates has claimed another victim.
May 27 2012 11:49
The country's 200 000-odd Tupperware agents are angry about the counterfeit products being sold as the real McCoy.
Johannesburg - Nehawu on Thursday accused Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi of "blatant blackmail" in claiming that workers were threatening the implementation of the government's service delivery priorities.
"Such statements are meant to confuse those that are not in touch with reality," National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said in a statement.
"Our members know better. So (do) the communities where we live and we shall refuse to be confused by Mr Baloyi," he said.
Public servants embarked on an indefinite, national strike this week after the government offered them a seven percent wage increase with a R700 housing allowance. They are demanding an 8.6% increase and a R1 000 housing allowance.
The strike has been characterised by the disruption of essential services - mostly at hospitals, courts and schools - with some
strikers allegedly intimidating non-striking workers.
Pamla said it was an open secret that the workers' initial demands were an 11.5% wage increase with a R2 000 monthly housing allowance.
"We reviewed our demands during the first round of negotiations after having received a presentation from the employer about the lack of financial resources to meet our initial demands."
He said the existing demand signified "a huge drop and compromise" by workers, and added that it would be disingenuous for anyone to say otherwise.
It was "unacceptable" that the government could not raise R5bn to pay workers at the forefront of service delivery and ensure that the people of South Africa received much needed basic services, Pamla said.
"This is the same government that has silenced critics all around the world by spending around R32bn to meet the high expectations of Fifa in order to host a month-long soccer tournament."
He said the union condemned violence and intimidation by either workers or the police.
"We want to make it clear that apartheid-style tactics by the police will not intimidate us into submission."