. Public Service Wage Negotiations . Assassination of Chris Nkosi . Xenophobic Attacks
_____ COSATU Gauteng Statement, 17 April 2015 Three Urgent Matters . Public Service Wage Negotiations . Assassination of Chris Nkosi . Xenophobic Attacks Deadlock on wage negotiations in the public service The Congress of South African Trade Unions in Gauteng is deeply disturbed by the slow progress in reaching an agreement by parties in the current wage negotiations at the Public Service Bargaining Council. We have noted that the wage negotiations have taken place for more than six months now without being able to produce anything near to the mandate of our workers across the unions organized in the public sector. We have also noted that the employer being the state in this instance has been dragging its feet towards resolving the impasse which has resulted in them as an employer declaring the dispute precisely because it is refusing to meet the workers demands which are fair and reasonable. The workers are demanding among others: 1. 10% wage increase 2. R1500 for housing subsidy. 3. 6 months maternity Leave 4. 10 days for paternity Leave 5. 10 days family responsibility leave for parents with children with special needs We are informed by our negotiating team that the employer does not want to even consider some of these demands and the explanation being given is the fact that the Department of Treasury does not want to provide resources for the state to be able to move and meet our demands. We view this attitude as something that should not be tolerated as would set very bad precedent for the entire bargaining processes and regime in the country. It is an attitude that should be confronted and dealt with accordingly. It is in this regard that we believe that the boardroom negotiations should now be accompanied by mass action on our part to put pressure and to demonstrate to the treasury that we will not allow their unilaterally imposing of the austerity measures to our member and the society at large. We are therefore supporting the call by the members for an action to be taken in support of their mandate under prevailing circumstances and as a warning to the employer that they will not tolerate intransigency on the part of the employer. We have already filed a notice with the Tshwane municipality of our intention to take a march to the office of both the Department of Public Service and Administration[ DPSA] as the employer and also to the Department of Finance as people, who are refusing to avail resources which would enable the employer to meet our demands. The process is unfolding and hoping that by Monday all the logistics would be finalized for a peaceful march to hand over the memorandum to the Department of Public Service and Administration and to the Department of Finance. We will communicate all the details after the meeting with the authorities on Monday. Xenophobic Attacks We are seriously angered by the recent developments of killing of innocent people, looting of shops, burning of buildings which constitute acts of criminality done under the disguise of xenophobic or afro-phobic attack. No reason or rational could be advanced to justify this senseless attack to fellow South Africans and Africans. We call upon all of our people to work with the authorities in identification of these criminal elements that are hell bent on tarnishing the image of our country. We call upon the people of Gauteng to isolate the criminal elements that are busy perpetuating this violence and criminal acts. We call upon the authorities to use whatever means possible to protect and arrest all those who are responsible for these mindless killings of our African brothers, sisters and looting of the foreign shops. The barbaric acts must stop now before it is too late. We will be discussing a campaign to take this call further in our own communities. On the Assassinations of Chris Nkosi We have noted the brutal killing of Comrade Chris Nkosi our Gauteng SATAWU Provincial Secretary and the PEC member of the federation. We think that those who had killed Cde Chris Nkosi must face the music and the law must take its own course. We are therefore calling upon the Commissioner of Police in the Province to establish a special investigating team to probe this matter, including the bombing of the House of Cde June Dube, the President of SATAWU. We believe that these acts of violence and killing of our leaders should never be tolerated in our province as they have a serious implication to all of us. We hope that the Police will do everything in their powers to apprehend those responsible for these Criminal Acts. Issued by COSATU Gauteng For further information contact: Cde Dumisani Dakile COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary 082 727 1422 -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. 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