SOUTH AFRICA
The newly appointed South African Minister for Public Service and Administration, Senzo Mchunu (pictured) says he will reduce the bloated Public Service wage bill, but insists he can work with unions to do it.
Mr Mchunu is one of the new Ministers who took office after President, Cyril Ramaphosa appointed his new Cabinet.
He said he would consult all stakeholders in the public sector “including unions”.
However, the Congress of South African Trade Unions quickly put a shot across his bows, saying it would not allow retrenchments in the public sector.
Mr Mchunu said the issue of the public sector wage bill was just one of the hiccups he would encounter.
“There is no way I can walk away from the unions,” Mr Mchunu said.
“Not only must we work closely, we must forge common objectives.”
He said the National Treasury said in the Budget in February it would start the process of allowing for early retirement and it would not penalise those who made this choice.
“This would allow for natural attrition, which formed part of Government plans to cut the wage bill,” Mr Mchunu said.
He said he wanted stability in the Public Service, as this had been lacking in the sector for some time.
“There are many disruptions in the form of strikes and work stoppages, and it affects governance,” Mr Mchunu said.
“The Public Service is an important vehicle for Government to fulfil its mission.”
The public sector wage bill has been increasing and now stands at more than ZAR500 billion (A$48.8 billion).
Pretoria, 5 June 2019
