Pretoria – Government and the majority of unions representing public servants have reached an agreement regarding wage increases, averting a possible strike.
The agreement, which was inked at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) in Centurion last night, means that salaries for public servants will increase by 7% this year.
This will be followed by increases aligned to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1 percent in 2016 and 2017.
The unions previously sought a 15% increase, before lowering their demands to 10% during lengthy negotiations which started in September.
Under the agreement, the government will increase its contribution to employee’s medical aid to 28.5 %. Government has also agreed to increase the housing allowance to R1200 a month, from R900.
The talks had to be referred to independent mediators in March.
Negotiations fell apart several times as they faced multiple delays including after the death of then Public Service and Administration Minister Collins Chabane. – SAnews.gov.za
