D-day for SA strikers

JOHANNESBURG – Yesterday was D-day for striking civil servants with at least four unions willing to sign government’s final wage offer despite strong opposition from the biggest union – the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu).

The unions were to meet yesterday to discuss a way forward following the breakdown of talks last week with Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi giving labour 21 days to sign her final 7,5% offer. The government’s offer has precipitated a crisis within the participating unions, with at least four unions understood to be ready to accept the offer.Three of the unions – the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Democratic Nurses’ Organisation of SA (Denosa) and the National Professional Teachers – Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) – represent more than 300 000 workers.The fourth union is the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union (Hospersa).The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) may also sign as it had already indicated its willingness to accept the 7,25% offer.Popcru has 96 000 members.Yesterday’s meeting was described as an ‘upfront check’ to see where each union now stands and whether 51% of them were willing to accept the government’s offer.One labour source said yesterday that the feeling among most of the unions is that ‘no one is willing to stretch the strike beyond’ where it is now.Sadtu is, however, unwilling to budge.Some of the negotiators say that it had been unwilling to move even from its initial demand of 12% pay increase.Denosa is also said to be ready to sign.Popcru changed its mind when the state threatened to sue unions for violence and intimidation during the strike.Sadtu insists on a 10% hike, a move that has set it on a collision course with its sister Cosatu union, Nehawu.Nehawu and Sadtu together represent over 400 000 civil servants, making them the largest public sector unions.Throughout the three-week-old strike, unions have shown unprecedented unity but it now seems that Fraser-Moleketi’s latest move is set to break that unity.City Press has learnt that Naptosa wants to sign the 7,5% offer because its members were ‘now tired’ of the protracted strike.Although Nehawu says it has a mandate to compromise to 8%, its general secretary, Fikile Majola, said yesterday that the union was now trying to convince its members to accept the 7,5% pay hike.For the union, signing now would seem to make a lot of sense, especially because its members are to benefit from the many other carrots the government has put up as part of the deal.City PressThe government’s offer has precipitated a crisis within the participating unions, with at least four unions understood to be ready to accept the offer.Three of the unions – the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), the Democratic Nurses’ Organisation of SA (Denosa) and the National Professional Teachers – Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) – represent more than 300 000 workers.The fourth union is the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union (Hospersa).The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) may also sign as it had already indicated its willingness to accept the 7,25% offer.Popcru has 96 000 members.Yesterday’s meeting was described as an ‘upfront check’ to see where each union now stands and whether 51% of them were willing to accept the government’s offer.One labour source said yesterday that the feeling among most of the unions is that ‘no one is willing to stretch the strike beyond’ where it is now.Sadtu is, however, unwilling to budge.Some of the negotiators say that it had been unwilling to move even from its initial demand of 12% pay increase.Denosa is also said to be ready to sign.Popcru changed its mind when the state threatened to sue unions for violence and intimidation during the strike.Sadtu insists on a 10% hike, a move that has set it on a collision course with its sister Cosatu union, Nehawu.Nehawu and Sadtu together represent over 400 000 civil servants, making them the largest public sector unions.Throughout the three-week-old strike, unions have shown unprecedented unity but it now seems that Fraser-Moleketi’s latest move is set to break that unity.City Press has learnt that Naptosa wants to sign the 7,5% offer because its members were ‘now tired’ of the protracted strike.Although Nehawu says it has a mandate to compromise to 8%, its general secretary, Fikile Majola, said yesterday that the union was now trying to convince its members to accept the 7,5% pay hike.For the union, signing now would seem to make a lot of sense, especially because its members are to benefit from the many other carrots the government has put up as part of the deal.City Press