SOUTH AFRICA
Furious South African Public Servants say they will defy a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people and organise a protest march after the Government cancelled previously agreed pay rises.
The 280,000-member National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) said it would proceed with mass action as a “warning-shot” to the Government.
General Secretary of NEHAWU, Zola Saphetha (pictured) said the latest discussions with the Government indicated that the State would renege on the wage rise agreed in April.
“Many Public Servants will end up with an “effective zero per cent” increase, Mr Saphetha said.
“We reject the new wage offer of CPI plus 0.5 percent,” he said.
“It is a betrayal of the highest level.”
Mr Saphetha said if the Government did not honour the original agreement of seven per cent, or CPI plus one per cent on 1 April, the union would be forced to march.
“We do not fear a spread of the Coronavirus; we will not allow our members to die of hunger,” he said.
“We would rather sacrifice ourselves to risks, including this Coronavirus.”
“We made a commitment during apartheid to die for the workers of this country; if we must, we continue to do so,” Mr Saphetha said.
Pretoria, 20 March 2020
