NATU slams 'unaffordable’ GEMS adjustments
The National Teachers Union says repeated cost hikes are making medical aid cover increasingly unaffordable for educators and their families.
The union says GEMS members were slapped with a 9% contribution adjustment last month, following a 13% hike in 2025.
NATU says teachers received only a 5.5% salary increase in the 2025/26 financial year and are set to receive a 4% adjustment the next year.
The union says the increases are placing severe financial pressure on teachers who provide an essential service and are an attack on workers’ take-home pay.
NATU and other unions are calling for meaningful consultation to address the impasse.
A national protest is planned for next week at the GEMS head office in Pretoria.
Meanwhile, GEMS has defended the hike as necessary for long-term sustainability and to maintain its 25% statutory reserve requirement.
The increase will be revised to 9.5 per cent in April.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA has described the hike as unreasonable.
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