COSATU+public+service+unions+bargaining+statement

COSATU Media Release, 22 March 2007
=**Statement by the COSATU unions engaged in the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council**=

COSATU Public Sector Unions commanding 57.3% of the total workforce in the Public Service, have declared a deadlock in wage negotiations on 20th of March 2007.

The reason for the deadlock is due the protracted nature of negotiations and the failure of the employer to respond to more then 70% of the consolidated demands submitted.

History of Negotiations
In October 2006.the unions consolidated their wage demands and submitted it to the employer for negotiations. This was followed by a workshop under the auspices of the PSCBC to clarify all the labour demands. It became abundantly clear that there was no readiness on the part of the Employer to commit to the process of wage bargaining in 2006 and the very first time the Employer responded was in January 2007. Subsequently there have been five rounds of negotiations with no response to most demands and with no agreement on any matter responded to by the employer.

//Whilst public pronouncements are made by senior heads in Government there has been a concurrent attempt and tendency to portray the public service as bloated, inefficient and corrupt.//

Discord
The public sector continues to reduce staff in numbers- displaying a conscious intent not to fill vacant funded posts. The shrinking public service reduce the possibility of employment noting the huge numbers of unemployed and bad for service delivery to the public at large.

The government’s decision to increase staff and improve conditions of service in EDUCATION\POLICE and HEALTH indicates that in these areas of the public service there is indeed a crisis due to understaffing. Not only has employment within the public service decreased by 13% since 1994 with most of these jobs being lost in the lower ranks. At the same time the budget for personal expenditure been reduced drastically, and in the last three years by 3%.

Our Demands
1. We demand a 12% across the board. This is because it is ten years since there has been any real increase to public servants. The value of jobs in the public service has been reduced over a number of years and it is clear that public servants are getting poorer due to the insistence of government to adjust increments instead of improving them. 2. We further demand a single term for negotiations with its implementation date the 1st April, it is clear that the demand of 1st April is a major challenge as it is les then two weeks to go. 3. We want a reduction of the 16 notch system to 5 notches 4. A medical aid system that are non discriminatory 5. A housing subsidy to the value of R300 000-00 6. The filling of all vacant posts estimated at 35% to ensure service deliver to all

After five rounds of boardroom talk it was clear on 20 March 2007 that the employer was bound to its mandate of 4% and 5.3% over a multi-term agreement with no movement on any other issue.

Labour then responded by declaring a clear deadlock on the process. The provisions of the Constitution in the PSCBC advise that, if a dispute is declared a facilitator be called in to bring parties together using the route of facilitation.

A dispute will be declared in the next round of negotiations if the state fail to make a better offer and if they maintain their stance.

In addition labour will revert to its different constituencies for further mandates to defend their demands.


 * Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)**
 * Congress of South African Trade Unions**
 * 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets**
 * Braamfontein, 2017**


 * P.O.Box 1019**
 * Johannesburg, 2000**
 * SOUTH AFRICA**


 * Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24**
 * Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667**
 * Cell: 0828217456**
 * E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za**

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