-
South African bank notes featuring an image of former South African President Nelson Mandela are displayed at an office in Johannesburg.
Public sector labour unions are currently consulting with their members on the latest government wage offer of 4.7%. The country’s organised labour has been engaged in wage negotiations with the employer at the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council ahead of the 2025 financial year.
Public sector workers had initially demanded a 12% salary increase, but have now revised their demand to 7.5% while government is offering 4.7%.
The Public Servants Association’s Claude Naicker says the majority of their members have already rejected the latest offer.
“The employer came back and indicated that it cannot table anything further than the 4.7%. When we left the council meeting it was indicated that unions will go back to the constituencies and engage with the members and see whether the 4.7% is feasible and as far as the public services association is concerned, we have mandated our members and those members that participate in the process, almost 70% of them have rejected the 4.7%. That is where we are currently standing for now. Unions would have conducted and finalised their mandating process. We will call for the public service bargaining council to resume wage talks and present our findings to say that we reject the offer,” says Naicker.
