HOSPERSA SLAMS GOVERNMENT’s CALL FOR PUBLIC PROPOSALS TO RESOLVE SALARY DEADLOCK
HOSPERSA SLAMS GOVERNMENT’s CALL FOR PUBLIC PROPOSALS TO RESOLVE SALARY DEADLOCK
30 April 2021
Hospersa, a Union with more than 50 000 members in the public sector [predominantly in the Department Health and the Department of Social Department], has slammed the Minister of Public Service and Administration for making a call to the public to come up with proposals for resolving the current government-labour wage negotiations deadlock. The Union has criticised government for negotiating in bad faith and undermining the processes being undertaken at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) where public service employees’ wage negotiations are taking place. Hospersa will consult its members on the way forward to address the government’s continuation of undermining collective bargaining process.
On Monday, 26 April 2021, the Minister of Public Service and Administration sent out a media release calling for public proposals to assist in resolving the current government-labour wage negotiations deadlock. In the media release, the minister described the negotiations as the most difficult negotiations between parties citing the country’s bad economic state, the COVID-19 pandemic and upcoming Constitutional Court date [24 August 2021] over unpaid increases to public service employees in the last leg of a 2018 signed agreement. Hospersa has criticised the minister for negotiating in bad faith and seeking public sympathy for government’s failure to come to the Bargaining Council with a deserved wage increase offer for public servants.
“Hospersa is appalled by the minister’s call for public proposals and it must be withdrawn,” said Hospersa General Secretary Noel Desfontaines. “Negotiations for public service employees’ wage increases and benefits are negotiated at the PSCBC and that is the forum where government should actively participate to end the impasse. Calling for public proposals says that the minister has failed in his duties in ensuring his department comes to the negotiations table with a tangible offer for public servants,” added Desfontaines.
“It is worth noting that the public was not consulted when fruitless expenditure of public funds and corruption amounting to billions of rands became the order of the day,” argued Desfontaines. “Calls for public proposals were also not done when irregular appointments of unqualified personnel in key strategic positions in government departments were made which have ultimately led to more wastage, maladministration and the abuse of the public purse. Instead, the public is conciliated with endless Commissions of Inquiries which have led to further fruitless expenditure as there has been no recovery of the looted funds and no implicated officials being brought to book,” added Desfontaines.
“Hospersa demands that the Minister of Public Service and Administration withdraws the calls for proposals and to stop using public sympathy as a smoke-screen to hide government’s role in the looting of public funds which could be used to finance the deserved wage increases in the public sector,” said Desfontaines. “Majority of our members have been on the frontline of the pandemic without appreciation and recognition. We will continue to fight for their deserved wage increases and consult our members on further action should the minister continue to undermine the collective bargaining processes,” concluded Desfontaines.
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For more information please contact Hospersa General Secretary Noel Desfontaines on 071-890-0134.
Hospersa – Worker Empowerment
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