By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
The Public Servants Association (PSA) is seeking a 12% wage increase for 1.3 million government employees, alongside demands for a housing allowance, danger pay, and bursary schemes.
Speaking on VOC’s NewsBeat on Thursday, Acting Deputy General Manager of Members’ Affairs, Claude Naiker, explained how the PSA intends to source the funds for the increase. “We base our percentage on a well-researched document that examines the government’s financial status and the individual financial positions of public servants.”
Naiker emphasized that public servants have faced stagnant wages for years. “For two consecutive years, public servants did not receive salary increases. Over the last seven years, they have not received a CPI adjustment, leaving them 9.2% behind. While our initial demand is 12%, whether we achieve that remains to be seen as negotiations progress. In 20 to 30 years, the public sector has never received a 12% increase.”
He elaborated on the negotiation process, noting that the PSA’s 12% demand is based on research, including the rising cost of basic needs. “If public servants receive a real wage increase, it would be a bonus. However, realistically, we might achieve closer to 10% given current conditions, but that remains to be seen as talks continue.”
Naiker also addressed the planned retrenchment of 2,400 teachers in the Western Cape. “We were shocked by the announcement. There is already a severe shortage of teachers, and this will only worsen the situation. Since 2017, the public sector has not been hiring aggressively, especially in critical sectors like health and education.”
He warned that these retrenchments would further contribute to the country’s unemployment crisis. Naiker pointed to corruption and maladministration as key factors draining financial resources. “If the government can tackle corruption and maladministration, we might make a real dent in unemployment.”
VOC News
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