- Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu says the Public Service Association was never excluded from arbitration, but that it walked out of the process.
- PSA spokesperson Reuben Maleka said the state's offer indicated labour would not get a pensionable salary increase in 2021, but salaries would adjust by 1.5%.
- Cosatu convener Mugwena Maluleka indicated a 1.5% offer was mentioned.
Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has slammed a statement by the Public Service Association (PSA) claiming that the union had been excluded from the ongoing public service wage talks taking place at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC), saying it chose to walk out.
The minister issued a statement on Tuesday amid reports on Monday that government was prepared to renege on its commitment to a 0% increase offer by giving a 1.5% increment to public servants in the current wage talks.
In a statement from the Department of Public Service and Administration, Mchunu said the PSA was never excluded from the facilitation process in arbitration, but that the union walked out while it was in progress.
"The PSA has opted not to participate in the ongoing facilitation process and has resorted to making public statements [that] are neither responsible nor constructive and not in the interests of the public servants in the public service; we strongly discourage the actions by the PSA," Mchunu said.
Mchunu said government and organised labour would continue working to resolve the impasse "through the constitutionally recognised process of collective bargaining and such acts and utterances fly against this very principle".
PSCBC general secretary Frikkie de Bruin said in a statement on Monday that the deadlock on Sunday during the negotiation process arose after government, as the employer, revised its position that it would not to move from a 0% offer on the improvement of the cost of living for public servants.
Revised offer
"The employer on 16 May ... tabled a revised offer to labour on the improvement of the cost of living for public servants. There is, however, an embargo on the details of the offer made as trade unions, being part of the facilitation process, must now have the opportunity to consult and seek a mandate from their members on the offer made," De Bruin said.
PSA spokesperson Reuben Maleka said in a statement on Monday that government's offer to labour indicated that employees would not receive a pensionable salary increase during 2021, but will have their salaries adjusted by at least 1.5%.
Maleka said government also offered a monthly non-pensionable cash gratuity of R978 for 12 months, which he said would be within the range of R625.92 after tax, depending on each individual employee's tax bracket.
"Parties in the PSCBC reached a deadlock during the wage negotiations ... as far back as 23 April. The parties then entered a ten-day facilitation process with the employer in anticipation that there will be a revised offer from the employer," said Maleka.
Maleka said the employer did not present anything new, but filed for conciliation last week Tuesday, while other unions continued to engage the employer in a facilitation process while the PSA was "excluded" from this process.
"From clarity obtained it appears that the 1.5% that is being offered is already in place in the form of a pay progression that employees qualify [for] because of satisfactory performance. In essence, employees are only offered a non-pensionable gratuity, or type of allowance, of R978 before tax," Maleka said.
Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA spokesperson Sibongiseni Delihlazo said while he had not received the official report yet, he was under the impression that Cosatu convener Mugwena Maluleka confirmed that the 1.5% informal offer had been mentioned.
"He mentioned he cannot confirm much as the negotiations are ongoing and awaiting the formal proposal to be tabled formally in the council by PSCBC [general secretary]," said Delihlazo.
Department of Public Service and Administration spokesperson Vukani Mbhele said the government’s negotiation team is still working on finding a resolution in the chamber as the team was dealing with 16 different demands.
"Government has given the team a few options to consider in their engagements with labour in respect of all 16 demands. We are in touch from time to time with the negotiations team, but they are still not done with their duties. A comprehensive report will be obtained once the team has an opportunity," said Mbhele.
Mbhele did not confirm deny the reported offer government made to labour in the negotiations or the demands made by unions.