South Africa: negotiators urged to end strike soon

Members of the National and Health Workers Union (NEHAWU ) protest outside the King Edward hospital in Durban yesterday

The South African government yesterday urged public-service wage negotiators to promptly find a “win-win” solution after unions rejected a revised offer to end a strike now in its third week.
“Cabinet urged the negotiators to find an amicable and win-win solution sooner so that life can return to normal for the thousands of South Africans who are unable to access essential services such as medical care and preparations for the end of the year examinations,” government spokesman Themba Maseko told journalists.
His statement comes after South Africa’s main labour federation Cosatu on Wednesday rejected the government’s revised wage offer.
The unions were to meet yesterday to “discuss and assess where we are,” said Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
But the Independent Labour Caucus, one of the labour umbrella groups representing the 1.3 million striking workers, said it was still consulting their members on the offer.
“We will only know by Friday what our members’ stance is on the offer. Today [Thursday] we are meeting as the leaders of the unions to discuss a way forward,” Chris Klopper, chairman of the ILC, told AFP.
In the meantime, thousands of Cosatu-affiliated unions were marching countrywide to hand over memorandums to government offices.
Unions tabled the improved offer on Wednesday to their members after President Jacob Zuma ordered his ministers to negotiate a solution to the stoppage that has paralysed schools and hospitals.
“Government is particularly concerned about the disruption of services in places such as hospitals and schools. No nation can allow the sick to die because health care workers are on strike. No nation can afford to put the future of thousands of young people on hold because of strike action,” said Maseko.
Some 4,000 soldiers including doctors and nurses have been called in to provide essential medical back-up, security and cleaning services in 61 hospitals across the country.
The government revised its offer to a 7.5 percent wage increase and an 800-rand (85 euro, 110 dollars) housing allowance, up from its previous offer of a seven percent raise and 700 rands for housing.
Unions are demanding an 8.6 percent increase and a 1,000-rand housing allowance.
The revised public sector offer saw sympathy strikes planned for yesterday, including at the country’s mines, called off until consultations on the offer were finalised.
Maseko said although workers’ demands were understandable the government could not increase its offer.
“While the draft settlement proposal of 7.5 percent and 800 rands’ housing allowance was unaffordable, Government was and still is willing to accept the settlement even though this will add another 1.5 billion rands to current expenditure, which will have to be taken from somewhere,” he said.
As the public sector protest drags on, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa strike, which started Wednesday in the motor industry, forcing an indefinite shutdown at Volkswagen of South Africa’s plant in Uitenhage continued.
Maseko said government was hopeful that a settlement would be reached soon as unions were still discussing amongst each other on their final response to the offer.
“The unions are expected to return to the bargaining council with their final response to the draft agreement, hopefully by the end of the day,” he said.
The state is hoping to avoid a repeat of a four-week walkout three years ago, which was the longest and most widespread strike since the end of apartheid in 1994.