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'Government Cannot Afford COSATU Wage Increase Demand' COSATU and its affiliates demanded a 10 percent wage hike, against government's offer of 5,8 percent Eyewitness News, Johannesburg, 24 April 2015 Government on Friday responded to Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU)'s public sector wage demands, saying it simply could not afford the bill but was willing to renegotiate the terms of the increases. Acting Public Service Minister Nathi Mthethwa held a briefing in Pretoria, just a day after the federation led a march of 11,000 workers through Pretoria's city centre to hand over a memorandum to the National Treasury and Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). COSATU and its affiliates have demanded a 10 percent wage hike, against government's offer of 5,8 percent. But Mthethwa said government's offer included a 28 percent contribution to medical aid and a housing allowance increase of 33 percent. "We listened carefully to what COSATU had to say. However, what we are offering in terms of percentages, government cannot go beyond that." But the minister said it was simply about the pay-cheque, government could return to the negotiating table. "We will withdraw what we have offered and restart the negotiations so that we respond to what they say, especially on the emphasis on the cost of living adjustment." Meanwhile, Government said it didn't believe the current public sector wage negotiations would lead to a strike, despite threats from labour. Mthethwa said it was too early to contemplate industrial action. "I don't think from the negotiating parties, any one has emphasised the issue of the strike. Labour is as committed as government to want to find an amicable solution." He said government was offering 5.8 percent because it cannot afford anything more. "Government relies, for revenue, on economic growth. We do have a problem that our projections on our economic growth have not yielded fruit." Earlier, COSATU called on the DPSA to change its negotiators at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council and warned that if they didn't, a strike by more than half a million public servants is imminent. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu)'s Deputy General-Secretary Michael Makwayiba made the plea to the state in front of thousands of COSATU members. "We want to say to the government and those who mandate officials to go to negotiations, please, if it's possible, and that you want peace in this country... change your negotiators. They're not negotiating on our behalf." Makwayiba warned that Thursday's march was only a warning shot. "This time around it is the employer that declared the dispute, an invitation for workers to strike and we're very much happy to welcome and accept the invitation." He ended his address by telling workers to prepare themselves for a strike but his counterparts in COSATU said any mass action would be a catastrophe for the state. (Edited by Winnie Theletsane) From: http://ewn.co.za/2015/04/24/Government-cannot-afford-COSATUs-wage-increase-d emand -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
