By Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza, President of POPCRU
Government salaries have increased with government paying out its unilateral meagre 3% wage increase for the public service. This implementation was made possible throughsection 5 of the Public Service Act, which allows the Public Service and Administration Minister to implement an increase without majority unions agreeing.
As the leader of POPCRU representing over 160 000 members I can confidently say that this implementation of 3% is not acceptable for our workers. As a union and as members of the tripartite alliance I can say that we will bolster our fight against this pocket-size increase.
Analysts have stated that government is counting on unions’ strike ambitions being weakened by financial pressures, a possible low strike appetite, and the working year winding down for the festive season. I can confidently say that is not the case. As a union we are ready to embark on further strike action to prove to government that this is unacceptable. Much of our members are considered an essential service and cannot go on strike but we are able to hold lunchtime pickets, but almost one third of our workforce are civilians and are ready to strike at any time which we will do until we are heard.
POPCRU workers have not received a salary hike for three years, which is unacceptable. We will not back down, and we will emerge the victors. We will not stop fighting for workers’ rights until workers are free. This is what we stand for as a union. As a COSATU affiliate we need all hands on deck to overcome these obstacles and are fully behind our alliance.
We held a national march in November to illustrate to government that we are extremely serious about fighting for workers’ rights and the freedom of the working class. As a union, our members need safer working conditions, better housing subsidies, and an improved salary hike of much more than 3%. We need to collaborate with government to find a workable solution to these issues plaguing our members.
Government needs to be aware that the cost of living in South Africa continues to rise. According to a World Bank Report on Inequality in Southern Africa, we are the most unequal country in the world. With the unemployment rate now over 32% and poverty running rampant, government need to do better than 3%.
This unilateral implementation is proof that President Cyril Ramaphosa has no interest in the working class and has undermined collective bargaining. Our current administration has become neoliberalists who do not have the interest of workers at heart. We need to reconvene, and I condemn government for undermining collective bargaining as a platform for social dialogue. No society can be sustained using such strict austerity measures that government are now aggressively implementing. Half of the country live in poverty and are plagued by unemployment. Government must find a better solution and create jobs as well as a conducive environment for the economy to grow. As leaders of this rainbow nation, it their responsibility to ensure a better life for all. Unilateral implementation of this salary hike is unacceptable and as POPCRU we not back down.
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