Public Service unions have begun court action over the South African Government’s failure to stick to previously agreed pay rises.
Workers did not receive an increase on 15 April in contravention of a 2018 agreement on a rise.
The Department of Treasury says the freeze is needed to save R160 billion ($A13.8 billion) over three years as part of efforts to keep the struggling economy afloat.
The union says the wage agreement is binding and the Government cannot back out of it.
Representative of the Public Servants Association, Reuben Maleka said the resolution reached in 2018 was a contract of employment to his members, therefore the failure to pay was a contractual dispute that could be settled only in court.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said it had found no evidence to support allegations of corruption against Acting Chief Executive of the Government Printing Works (GPW), Alinah Fosi (pictured).
The allegations against Ms Fosi were made by a former employee who alleged that in October 2019 she had instructed him to act in a corrupt way in the irregular appointment of a service provider to facilitate a strategic planning session of the GPW.
Ms Fosi denied the allegations of corruption and said that they were made by a bitter dismissed former employee who had served as Director of Supply Chain Management.
She acknowledged there had been irregularities in procurement and told the PSC that she had taken remedial action to address the internal control weaknesses.
The PSC report said: “During the investigation, there was no evidence presented to the PSC suggesting that there was corruption on the part of Ms Fosi.”
The printing works falls under the Department of Home Affairs and undertakes printing on behalf of Government Departments.
Pretoria, 4 June 2020
