Striking unions voting on latest SARS offer to end walkout

Members of the two unions at the SA Revenue Service which went on strike last week over wages have started voting on the latest offer from the tax agency. 

The unions, which jointly represent about 9 000 workers, went on strike Thursday in a walkout that affected services at SARS offices, border posts and harbours across the country.

On Monday SARS said in an update that its branches were again open, with the exception of its main Cape Town branch, which it expects to open "shortly".

The voting by union members on Monday follows meetings on Friday and Sunday between the revenue collection agency and the unions.   

The unions are demanding salary increases of 11.4% and recognition of improved qualifications in the form of 1% salary increase and a 10% bonus.

• Subscribe to Fin24’s newsletter here 

Progress

In a joint statement on Sunday, the three parties said they had "made substantial progress in narrowing their areas of dispute and there is a possibility of reaching an agreement and settling the dispute".

According to the PSA, SARS offered employees an 8% increase in first year, offer CPI plus 2% for the remaining two years.

• READ: SARS strike: Fresh talks as new boss seeks speedy resolution

Nehawu deputy secretary general December Mavuso told Fin24 on Monday that the union was consulting with its members at SARS around the country on whether to accept the latest offer.

"We are finalising our process and will know by 14:00. We are consulting with provinces for a mandate. We will know the outcome this afternoon, after which, we will inform the employer of whether we accept or reject the offer," said Mavusa.

PSA spokesperson Tahir Maepa told Fin24 that the parties did indeed make progress. 

"The 8% issue was a proposal by the CCMA to break the deadlock which SARS said they couldn’t honour. We have suspended the strike to ballot members on the latest offer," Maepa said.

Maepa said the union was balloting to decide whether to accept the SARS offer. He said 2 000 PSA members elected to accept the offer while about 400 rejected it. The union said it needed 270 more members to agree before it had a mandate to accept the offer, said Maepa.