Nehawu, PSA to resume Sars strike on Tuesday
The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA) are set to down tools again at the South African Revenue Service.
The unions downed tools at Sars in May after wage talks deadlocked.
Unions are demanding salaries to be adjusted based on the October 2021 CPI plus 7% across the board, backdated to April this year.
This while the taxman isn’t budging from its offer of a 1.39% increment.
Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi says the resumption of the strike is due to Sars’ refusal to increase its offer at a meeting on Friday.
“Sars has left us with no option other than to mobilise our mass power and take our battle to the streets. This is the only power that we have as workers in fighting unfair conditions of work. We have been negotiating in good faith and with much patience.
“Sars has stalled and negotiated in bad faith. It is for these reasons that as Nehawu, we cannot delay the struggle to better the working conditions of our members and workers in general.”
READ: Saftu planning national shutdown against cost of living, load shedding
Meanwhile, the PSA’s Reuben Maleka says the union wants the finance minister to allocate additional budget for Sars to allow for a salary increase.
“PSA members will embark on an indefinite strike. These employees who collected an additional R17 billion in revenue are rewarded with paltry 1.39% salary-increase offer.
"Eskom employees received a 7% salary increase despite the country experiencing some of the worst load shedding in recent history.
“Equally, government office bearers received a backdated salary increase of 3%. It is inconceivable that the country relies on Sars to collect revenue but does not want to pay these employees for their good work and offers an insignificant salary increase.
“The current offer by Sars is equal to a declaration of war by the employer and workers will have no option but to reciprocate as the battle lines are drawn,” says Maleka.
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