As the violent and chaotic industrial action entered its fifth day on Friday, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) vowed the wage strike would only stop if the government acceded to its demands for above-inflation increases.
“There is no turning back. The only thing that will bring us back [to work] is when we are given what we want,” said Zola Saphetha, general secretary of Nehawu, one of Cosatu’s largest affiliates.
His remarks come as the employer and unions met at the public service co-ordinating bargaining council (PSCBC) for a second day on Friday, in a bid to end the work stoppage the bargaining council said was “untenable”.
Nehawu and other public service unions including the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) and SA Policing Union (Sapu) and the state as employer reached a wage deadlock during wage talks for the 2022/2023 financial year at the bargaining council in 2022.
That led the government to unilaterally implement a 3% pay hike in October, against the union’s demand for a 10% pay hike.
Striking unions members have been heavily criticised for intimidating and assaulting healthcare workers across the country; with several hospitals and clinics blocked and rendered inaccessible by those reporting for duty or those wanting to go home after their shifts. Nehawu is affiliated to labour federation Cosatu. Its sister union, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), this week said it condemned the “the bullying and thuggery conduct of members of Nehawu who are on strike”.
On Friday, the Public Servants Association, an affiliate of Fedusa, said it condemned the intimidation of its members by striking Numsa members.
PSA assistant GM Reuben Maleka said Numsa members “are blocking entrances in various government institutions and forcefully removing some PSA members, who have reported for duty”.
“In 2022, the PSA alone went on strike to exert pressure on the employer to accede to the 10% increase and other demands presented by the PSA based on a mandate from its members. At that time, other unions opted not to strike and remained silent, even after the PSA had indicated that the employer was negotiating in bad faith and that there was no hope for the conciliated process to yield anything tangible and beneficial to workers,” Maleka said.
“Yet, the PSA recognised and respected the right of other trade unions to remain outside of the PSA’s strike action in pursuance of workers’ interests.”
Maleka said their members across health and other institutions had been blocked from accessing their workplaces and others “have been intimidated and forcefully removed from their work stations and departments”.
“The PSA is calling on the minister for public service and administration, working together with the police, to provide a clear plan to protect PSA members as they want to continue providing services to all communities without any fear and intimidation.”
Popcru said on Friday that workers had been on the “receiving end” of the government when it comes to poor working conditions. “We remain resolute and reiterate our position that there shall be no 2023/2024 wage negotiation until this current dispute is resolved, and urge workers to gather strength during these intimidations, and to be more resolute and determined in their fight to achieve the demands they set.”
In his medium-term budget policy statement in October, finance minister Enoch Godongwana — a former trade unionist — hailed the 3% offer the government unilaterally implemented, saying it was in the best interest of the fiscus and public service workers, and that implementing it will not undermine the collective bargaining process.
But the industrial action was viewed as the biggest test to his determination to rein in the public sector wage bill, which eats up more than one-third of government spending.
Nehawu served the employer with a strike notice in February, but the department of public service and administration successfully interdicted the strike from going ahead on March 4. The union lodged an appeal the following day and argued the industrial action could go ahead as planned because the appeal suspended the interdict.
On March 6, the department successfully approached the labour court for an order granting it leave to execute the court interdict. But later that day Nehawu launched an appeal at the Labour Appeal Court (LAC), stressing the work stoppage would continue.
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