- Public servants affiliated to Nehawu have vowed to continue their strike action, despite a court interdict.
- Minister Thulas Nxesi strongly condemned the strike.
- Nehawu and several other public servant unions have been locked in a wage dispute with the government.
Public servants affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) and other public sector unions have vowed to continue their mass protest, despite the public service and administration department obtaining an interdict to stop the strike.
On Monday, the Labour Court in Johannesburg reaffirmed the original interdict, which was granted on Saturday.
Union members embarked on a mass strike and blocked entry to government buildings.
Nehawu said in a statement that it believed the judge made an error of law in arriving at the determination of granting the leave to execute – and, as such, the national union had launched an appeal against the judgment.
"We believe strongly that the Labour Appeal Court [LAC] will arrive at a different conclusion on the matter. Having launched an appeal of today's judgment, the national union will be forging ahead with the public service strike until a determination is made on our appeal at the LAC," it said.
Nehawu said it remained resolute that no amount of court intimidation by the government would deter them.
The department proposes a salary increase of 4.7%, and the union is demanding 10-12%.
Former acting minister of Public Service and Administration Thulas Nxesi, at a press briefing on Monday, strongly condemned the protest.
Nehawu slammed Nxesi, stating that he had "anti-worker tendencies".
"We are not going to be a party to such calls by the acting minister. It's extremely shocking to hear such insinuations from a former trade unionist who moonlights as a communist. The posture of Nxesi towards workers confirms our long-held suspicion about him being a pseudo communist that has used the SACP and trade union movement for his upward mobility," Nehawu said.
Nxesi said they could not allow essential services to strike because "this is reckless and irresponsible".
"The 'no work, no pay' principle must be strictly and timeously enforced. In other words, deductions must be effected in the month of the strike action (if possible), but not later than the next month," the minister warned departments.
"I urge all departments to put the necessary processes, procedures, and contingency strike management plans to effectively deal with the strike action and to generate the required information."