Public sector wage talks hit snag after govt, unions fail to find common ground

JOHANNESBURG - Public sector wage negotiations have already hit a snag after government and unions failed to find common ground in the early stages of talks.

Unions representing more than a million workers are demanding a 12% increase, while government has come in with an offer four times less.

Wage talks kicked off this week and are expected to run for at least two weeks.

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Facilitators are now set to be brought into negotiations as an early intervention in a bid to prevent a stalemate.

In a draft document of 16 demands, the public sector is also calling for a R2,500 housing allowance, for the danger allowance to be doubled, a bursary scheme for dependants of government employees, and performance bonuses to be reinstated.

While the country’s fiscus remains constrained, the executive director of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), Basil Manuel, said that workers could not be punished.

"The 12% demand is not a thumb-suck. It is informed by the fact that we haven’t had above-inflation increases in five years, which means we’re getting poorer by the day."

Unions have called on government to come to the table to avert labour unrest.