WHILE about 200,000 municipal workers from the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) down tools today across the country, the prospect of a wholesale civil servant strike seems on the cards.
Public service sector unions are today meeting with the government's Public Service and Administration Department at the bargaining council to iron out outstanding issues.
And the Cosatu-affiliated public sector union has warned that unless an agreement is arrived at over these issues - which include salary increases, equalisation of medical aid and housing subsidies - they will go on strike too.
Samwu said it was ready to unleash strike action that would hit co-functions of municipalities, such as transport, refuse collection, health care, traffic policing, water and sanitation and road maintenance. Spokesperson for the Cosatu-affiliated public service union, Mugwena Maluleke, described today's meeting as a final attempt to resolve the issues on the table.
"It is a do-or-die. There must be an agreement today, otherwise we will go on strike," he said.
The issues that remain unresolved include a 10percent wage demand they have put to the department, housing assistance for all public servants who cannot afford to buy houses, clarity on minimum service-level agreement and standardisation of medical aid schemes.
Department spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba refused to comment, saying the issues would be discussed in the meeting today.
The Samwu strike comes as the strike by the cleaning industry sector enters its second week.
It is the first time ever that the cleaning industry and Samwu's waste collection units would be on strike at the same time.
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union chief negotiator, Lungile Ntshuntshe, described this coincidence as a good development for the unions.
Civil servants sound warning
WHILE about 200,000 municipal workers from the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) down tools today across the country, the prospect of a wholesale civil servant strike seems on the cards.
Public service sector unions are today meeting with the government's Public Service and Administration Department at the bargaining council to iron out outstanding issues.
And the Cosatu-affiliated public sector union has warned that unless an agreement is arrived at over these issues - which include salary increases, equalisation of medical aid and housing subsidies - they will go on strike too.
Samwu said it was ready to unleash strike action that would hit co-functions of municipalities, such as transport, refuse collection, health care, traffic policing, water and sanitation and road maintenance. Spokesperson for the Cosatu-affiliated public service union, Mugwena Maluleke, described today's meeting as a final attempt to resolve the issues on the table.
"It is a do-or-die. There must be an agreement today, otherwise we will go on strike," he said.
The issues that remain unresolved include a 10percent wage demand they have put to the department, housing assistance for all public servants who cannot afford to buy houses, clarity on minimum service-level agreement and standardisation of medical aid schemes.
Department spokesperson Dumisani Nkwamba refused to comment, saying the issues would be discussed in the meeting today.
The Samwu strike comes as the strike by the cleaning industry sector enters its second week.
It is the first time ever that the cleaning industry and Samwu's waste collection units would be on strike at the same time.
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union chief negotiator, Lungile Ntshuntshe, described this coincidence as a good development for the unions.
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