More than a million South
African public sector workers
plan to strike on Tuesday and
demonstrate throughout the
country in what could be a
prelude to prolonged
industrial action in Africa's
largest economy.
The government raised its
pay offer to civil servants on
Thursday to try to avert the
strike, but it was quickly
rejected by the unions.
"More than 1.3 million public
servants will on Tuesday
take part in marches and
demonstrations right through
the country leading to a total
shutdown of the public
service," the largest
umbrella labour group,
COSATU, said in a statement.
"There is a very strong
possibility that by the end of
the week, we will be
embarking on a larger
strike," said Sizwe Pamla,
spokesman for NEHAWU, one
of the COSATU unions.
Analysts expect more
sparring in the coming days
but say a deal tilted in the
unions' favour will be
reached to head off a repeat
of the mass action by civil
servants three years ago that
damaged the economy.
Workers who have
threatened to strike include
customs and immigration
officers, police, health care
staff and teachers.
The ruling African National
Congress has a longstanding
alliance with organised
labour forged in their
struggle to end apartheid
and has almost always bowed
to union demands.
President Jacob Zuma, who
relied on organised labour to
rise to the country's highest
post, will be under pressure
to find a solution that
satisfies unions or he could
face a backlash at the ANC's
policy-setting meeting in
September, which is one of
the party's most important
events.
POLITICAL SOLUTION?
Sakhela Buhlungu, an expert
on organised labour at the
University of Johannesburg,
said the government could
try to reach a political
solution by talking to union
leaders.
He said the government had
misread the amount of anger
among unions who feel Zuma
has not done enough to help
them.
"The strike will force them
(the government) to scratch
around and find money
elsewhere," Buhlungu said.
The Public Service Ministry
had said in a statement it
was prepared to increase
salaries by 7 percent, after
previously offering 6.5
percent.
Union officials said the
government had increased its
offer of a 630 rand monthly
housing allowance by 20
rand.
Unions have been demanding
a wage increase of 8.6
percent -- double the current
rate of inflation -- and a
housing allowance of 1,000
rand, which would put
pressure on the state budget.
Unions need to convince the
public that civil servants are
underpaid and deserve the
raises or risk losing support
from taxpayers who feel the
money they pay government
for services is being wasted
on needless salary hikes,
analysts say.
The government says the
combined demands amount to
a rise of 9 percent and make
it all but impossible to fulfil
a commitment to bring the
budget deficit down from 6.7
percent of gross domestic
product.
Spending on personnel is the
largest sector of the budget.
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Wahala dey!
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