South Africa: Public Servant's 10.5 Percent Wage Increase to Stay

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BuaNews (Tshwane)

6 June 2008
Posted to the web 6 June 2008

Vivian Warby
Cape Town

The wage increase for public servants of 10.5 percent forms part of a collective agreement, says Director General of Public Service and Administration, Professor Richard Levin.

Prof Levin was responding to a question during a Governance and Administration Directors-General Cluster Briefing on SA Democratic Teacher's Union's rejection of the 10.5 percent wage increase.

The prevailing wage agreement provides for an adjustment effective from 1 July 2008 based on projected CPIX for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, plus an additional 1 percent real increase.

This was announced by Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi earlier this week.

Prof Levin said that the wage increase was based on Minister Trevor Manual's estimation of the average CPIX for 2008, which was estimated in his Budget Vote last week to be 9.5 percent for 2008.

While the CPIX is at 10.4 percent at the moment, it was estimated to average out at just over nine percent.

However, if this did not turn out to be the outcome, the department would make good for the shortfall of about 9 percent in 2009, said Prof Levin.

Ms Fraser-Moleketi had said this in her speech earlier.

"If we have under calculated the actual CPIX, Resolution 1 of 2007 will provide a safety measure. In such an event we will make up any difference by adding it to the salary adjustments that will take effect in July 2009."

The minister in her Budget Vote announced that salaries for employees on salary levels one to 10 and the total packages of employees on salary levels 11 and 12 would be adjusted by 10.5 percent with effect from 1 July this year.

SADTU slammed the minister for announcing the wage increase in her budget vote.

However, Prof Levin said that all Public Service Unions had been invited to a briefing prior to the Budget Vote in which a consultation was held. Salary adjustments were also to be discussed.

However, the Professor said SADTU did not attend.

Prof Levin further explained that as the salary increase was part of a collective pre-agreement there had been no need to consult with the Collective Bargaining Council.

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