Launch of a joint Programme of Defiance by trade unions affiliated to COSATU and FEDUSA at PSCBC in protection of collective bargaining in South Africa and against non-implementation of signed resolutions at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).
Friday October 2, 2020
The trade unions representing the more than 1. 2 million public servants at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) have been faced with a new strange behaviour from government of undermining and disrespecting the processes and decisions that are taken at this collective bargaining platform.
Labour in the Public Service have noted for a long time that there has been a clear stance taken by Government to disregard the institution of Collective Bargaining as provided for in the Constitution of South Africa and other legislations.
This new culture of disrespect of collective bargaining started with various statements made in the media by Ministers on the unilateral reduction of the Public Service Wage Bill. Their intentions were further confirmed by the response to demands from labour made in the PSCBC and its Sectoral councils. Agreements signed are blatantly ignored and unilateral amendments are made to Conditions of Services with no input or involvement of organised labour.
Labour unions have subsequently filed various disputes in the Councils on some of these matters, many of which still remain unresolved while some are still in progress.
The recent spate of disregard from Government as the employer is on the reneging of implementing the Wage Agreement which was signed in the PSCBC in May 2018. Labour is currently defending this right to Collective Bargaining and the signing of Collective Agreements in the Labour Court.
This unilateral disregard of collective agreements has brought nothing but anger, low morale, and frustration to all government workers in the various public service centres across the country, because their salaries have not been adjusted as of 1 April 2020 in line with the collective bargaining agreement.