PSA cancels 'day of rage' but vows to continue fight for 'financial emancipation'

Cape Town – The planned “day of rage” or protest and strike action by the Public Servants Association will no longer take place, the union said in a statement.

This follows announcements by the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) that the majority of unions, including those represented by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), signed a wage agreement on Friday.

• READ: Majority of unions sign public sector wage agreement

According to the PSCBC, 65.74% of trade unions agreed to salary adjustments and improvements on conditions of service in the sector for three years. A majority of 50%+1 employee agreement is required to implement the deal, Fin24 reported previously.

But general manager of the PSA Ivan Fredericks told Fin24 by phone that the PSA still believes it is a “negative deal”.

“It is disappointing that the employer did not sell us out. We were sold out by unions who are supposed to be our comrades,” he said.

Strike cancelled

He also explained that going forward with a nationwide strike on Monday by over 230 000 of its members would now be a “futile exercise”.

“The signing of the agreement has now resulted in the cancellation of these marches, but the strike action planned for SASSA (the South African Social Service Agency) will, however, still proceed as planned,” Fredericks said in a statement.

• READ: Public sector wage deal inches closer as more unions sign

“The PSA is disappointed that its efforts in the interest of public servants were derailed by those unions that have decided to support this detrimental offer by the employer that has plunged the public servants into three years (of) financial hardship… We lost the fight for financial emancipation of public servants, but the battle has just begun,” he said.  

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