The picket, which will take place from 3 November 2022 till 9 November, is a reaction of the PSA and other public service unions to the decision of the acting Minister, responsible for Public Service and Administration, Thulas Nxesi, to invoke Section 5 of the Public Service Act to implement a 3% wage increase in the public service. The PSA’s Acting Provincial Manager, Clement Fandie, says the biggest issue that they have is that the government has failed to meet their demands. “Our demand was a 10% wage increase, and the government intends to increase the wage unilaterally.”

He further says if there was any union that agreed on the 3% wage increase, it will be null and void as the majority of the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) have rejected the offer. “Had the majority of unions accepted the wage increase, we would be talking a different story – however, the majority did not accept it, which takes us back to our initial requested 10%,” explains Fandie. The first picket will start at the OR Tambo House, which houses the Premier’s Office, amongst other departments. The picket will start at 12:00, and from OR Tambo House they will move on to the province's trauma hospital, the Pelonomi Hospital.

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Fandie stated that the Director-General at the Premier’s Office has been informed that the picketing will begin on Wednesday and will end a day before the nationwide strike. Other institutions where picketing will take place, include the Lengau Traffic Testing Centre, the MUCPP clinic, the Mmabana Clinic, the National Hospital and the Universitas Hospital. “The instructions from our members when they rejected the 3% wage increase from the government, was that the offer is unacceptable. The picket and the strike which will begin on 10 November 2022 is a way to show the government that the public servants will not allow this treatment,” concludes Fandie.

SABC previously reported that the government’s current pay rise offer of 3% might be accepted by trade unions, only if the government meets their members’ conditions. The government was forced to go back to the drawing table after talks with the PSCBC failed. Unions have threatened strike action if their demands are not met. Unions say members will now accept the 3% offer provided the R1000 bonus incentive provided by the government is included in their total package after 31st March 2023. Unions threatened strike action after talks failed with the government last week. They had initially demanded a 10% salary increase and later reduced it to 6.5%.

“Our members of the PSA have done their votes although we are still missing some of the votes from some of the members from the branches. The indication that we are getting is they could accept 3% plus the cash gratuity. However, they want affirmation or a clause that protects that come 31st of March, if there is no resolution, they will continue to receive their R1000 cash gratuity, and come 31st of March, R1000 can be incorporated into the baseline. It’s either it continues the R1000, or it's incorporated into the baseline,” said PSA spokesperson, Reuben Maleka.

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