Update on the 2021-22 round of wage negotiations of public sector workers
31 March 2021
The Joint Mandating Committee (JMC) of the public sector trade unions (DENOSA, NEHAWU, PAWUSA, POPCRU, SADTU, SAEPU, and SAMATU) organised under COSATU, who command the majority at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) wish to update its members on the state of affairs around the on-going salary negotiation in the public service.
The collective demands of unions organising in the public service were submitted on the 01 March 2021 from which the PSCBC scheduled a two-day engagement on the 29-30 March 2021 for parties in Council to negotiate. Labour immerged from this two-day session having provided clarity on their demands in which we clearly articulated with motivation the reason for such demands.
Among the primary demands presented to the employer the following were thoroughly explained:
- The COLA in which we demanded a Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 4% across the board on the cost-of-living adjustment. Understanding that our members lost their buying power as a result of non-implementation of 2020 salary increase. Furthermore, having considered the economic outlook of government, our demands of a higher percentage above CPI is informed by the fact that the three main items (food, electricity and public transport) which drives our members’ expenditure patterns are way above the projected CPI of 3.1%. Considering all factors, the present inflation has set our workers in the negative economic and financial path.