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SA Strike Continues Unabated
| News by Staff ReporterDespite a new offer from government the public sector strike continues, meanwhile the private sector follows suit
Members of South African trade unions have rejected government's latest wage offer of 7,5 percent and an R800 housing allowance, leading the nationwide public sector strike into its fifteenth day.President Jacob Zuma earlier this week urged ministers and unions to come to an agreement that would bring an end to the strike, expressing concern over the country's poor and those who depend on government services daily.
A draft settlement was thus produced to unions, who subsequently requested time to consult with their members.
The draft settlement included a 7,5 percent wage increase and R800 monthly housing allowance, which, while still below the 8,6 percent wage increase and R1 000 monthly housing allowance that unions demand for their members, has risen from government's initial offer in July of 6,5 percent and a R620 housing subsidy.
Trade unions revised their initial demands of an 11 percent wage increase and R1 650 housing subsidy to the current 8,6 percent and R1 000, saying the strike would continue until these demands were met.
Despite ill-suppressed optimism that the latest offer would be looked upon with favour, it was rejected on the grounds that housing and protection against salary deductions, as well as disciplinary action upon returning to work, had not been sufficiently settled in the eyes of the unions' members.
Meanwhile, various unions in the private sector are also resorting to strike action, including the National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa) and the Nation Union of Mineworkers (NUM), as wage and working-condition related demands have not as yet been met.
These unions say the 'sudden' proliferation of industrial action has in reality been a long time coming, having postponed any strike action during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and as a result thousands of workers downed tools on Wednesday and joined the nationwide strike.
Negotiations between Numsa and several automobile manufacturers have already been successfully conducted, however, avoiding further strike action from the automobile manufacturing sector.
Numsa won a 10 percent wage increase and a ban on labour brokers for its workers, bringing an end to an eight-day strike of some 31 000 members in the automobile manufacturing sector.
The unions involved in the strike action said they would continue to engage with government until an agreement had been made.
Source: www.bizpremises.co.za
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