Public sector unions representing nearly 1 million civil workers confirmed on Thursday that they will embark on a full-blown strike indefinitely this month, intensifying their fight against government’s unilateral implementation of a 3% wage increase.
The unions, under the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), said they plan to serve the Department of Public Service and Administration with a strike notice on 22 February, on the same day Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana is expected to deliver his budget speech.

The unions have rejected the government’s baseline 3% wage offer, saying that it is effectively a pay cut, considering the escalating cost of living and inflationary pressures.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Peter Ntsime, the second vice president of the South African Policing Union (Sapu) said workers are intent on staging a full-blown strike, unlike the “national days of actions” staged last year.
“It’s a full-blown strike, workers are tired of marches or demonstrations, they are calling for action… It’s a complete withdrawal of labour,” Ntsime said.
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The Department of Public Service and Administration, under acting minister Thulas Nxesi, has previously called on unions to commence negotiations, but unions have said they will not move ahead without having resolved the 2022/20223 wage talks.

Simon Hlungwani, president of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) said the unions “will use their collective might” to get the government to agree to a better offer.

“We have resolved to continue with our campaign we started in 2022 as there is no logical basis to look forward to the next collective bargaining round for 2023/24 cycle given the track record, political posture and bad displayed by the employer,” he said.
“Over the past financial year … the cost of living skyrocketed as inflation hit a 13-year record of 7.8% in July last year and remained above 7%. Statistics South Africa recently found that inflation still remains very high at 6.9% in January 2023,” added Hlungwani.