NEHAWU Flabbergasted By President Ramaphosa's Decision To Increase Remuneration For Public Office Bearers
Saturday July 01, 2023
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] is infuriated by the ridiculous decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to increase the remuneration for Public Office Bearers by three (3) percent, which is retrospectively from 01st April 2022.
This inexplicable decision to increase the remuneration follows the recommendation by Independent Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. Earlier this year, as NEHAWU, we called on the President to reject in the strongest terms the proposed salary increase for Public Office Bearers by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration and called on President Ramaphosa to ignore the recommendation.
As NEHAWU, we called on President Ramaphosa to reject the recommendation precisely because of the challenges confronting our 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 salary of Public Office Bearers amidst the challenges confronting the country.
The decision to increase remuneration for public office bearers occurs when government has been hell-bent on undermining collective bargaining and reversing the gains of workers and this is evident with the government reneging on a signed collective agreement, the implementation of austerity measures, and the introduction of unilateralism.
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 increase while workers and ordinary citizens are on the receiving end with many experiencing miseries, pains, suffocations and financial hardships amidst the escalating cost of living. There is absolute no justification why Public Office Bearers should be getting a remuneration increase.
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Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za
Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za