Unions outraged by Ramaphosa’s 3% increase for public office bearers

Trade unions have described President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to increase the salaries  of all public office bearers by 3% as “embarrassing and ridiculous”.

Ramaphosa's decision follows recommendations made by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.  

On Sunday, Cosatu said Ramaphosa's decision was “tone deaf” and should have been rejected.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) agreed, saying it was also “infuriated” by the decision.  

Nehawu said it had earlier called for Ramaphosa to reject the recommendations by the commission.

The union said it called for the recommendations to be rejected because of challenges confronting the country with high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality.

“Our call also centred on the fact that the government butchered public service workers who are at the coalface of service delivery by offering them an increment far below the inflation rate. We find it absolutely unethical for President Ramaphosa to agree to a salary increase of public office bearers amid the challenges confronting the country,” said Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha. 

“We are taken aback by this decision by President Ramaphosa bearing in mind the claim that government has no money yet the president has decided to be generous to public office bearers by giving them remuneration increases while workers and ordinary citizens are on the receiving end with many experiencing miseries, pains, suffocations and financial hardships amid the escalating cost of living. There is absolutely no justification why public office bearers should be getting a remuneration increase.” 

Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said what was so “galling is the president chose to ignore the recommendation by Treasury for a 1.5% increase for political office bearers and judges and instead opted to increase it to 3%".

“It is hypocritical for government to implement a 3% increase for political office bearers and judges to avoid them 'becoming demoralised', while it has shown little compunction for imposing wage freezes and below CPI increases on police, nurses and doctors working 48-hour shifts or police officers who on average lose at least a member weekly to criminal attacks,” said Parks.

“The huge salaries and benefits that are paid to political office bearers and senior bureaucrats are the source of the existing inequalities and unacceptable income disparities that currently exist in the public service. The lowly public servants like police officers, nurses and teachers will have to work for nine years before earning an annual salary of a director-general or a judge.”  

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za