Government to meet unions today

Government and unions are expected to meet late on Thursday in an effort to avert further strike action by public servants.

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), however, is remaining tight-lipped on whether it will present the unions with a new offer. DPSA spokesman Dumisani Nkwamba said the department could not go into the details of the approach it would take during the meeting but reiterated that government was committed to the negotiation process and hoped to avert a national strike.

Public servants affiliated to Cosatu downed tools on Tuesday. They took to the streets and marched to Parliament in Cape Town and the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The strike came after COSATU Public Service Unions and the Independent Labour Caucus last week rejected the revised offer tabled by government at the Public Service Bargaining and Co-ordinating Council.

The revised offer included a 7 percent increase, an unchanged housing allowance of R630 and a fixed pay progression of 1.5 percent. This amounts to a total average contribution of 9 percent for public servants at salary level 1 to 12.

The unions are demanding an 8.6 percent increase and a housing allowance of R1 000. - BuaNews