Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa

Media statement

Saturday, 28 March 2015   

The Democratic Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) will embark on a country-wide report-back sessions with nurses about the deadlock declared by the employer at Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) salary negotiations and pave the way forward, following the withdrawal of the employer from the negotiations on Friday.

The employer has opted to seek for mediation instead of continuing to negotiate. This stance by the employer is a clear indication of unwillingness to negotiate with labour and it means we will miss the target date of 31 March 2015, which will have a direct bearing on the livelihood of state employees.  

The negotiations are deadlocked on the lowered demand of 10% by labour from the previous 15% and government’s laughable initial offer of 5.8% which was lowered to 4.8%, then increased by 0.2% to 5% before it reverted back to initial offer of 5.8%. DENOSA hopes that government will take full responsibility for the collapse of the negotiations and the consequences that will go with it.   

This act by the employer is being irresponsible as the employees are faced with economic up-hills. On 1 April 2015, the working class will experience economic hardship of immense proportion as they will be worse off as the increase in personal taxation and petrol price come into effect. Eskom’s sky-rocketing increase will also eat away their already meagre disposable income. With salary negotiations hitting a snag with government, DENOSA foresees despondency and anger among government employees who are squeezed between hard place and a rock, and this may lead to further resignations of skilled professionals in public sector.

In January, the government employees saw the ridiculous increase in Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS). The employees had been struggling to keep up with these daily cost increases. The employer had instead shown arrogance by not taking these negotiations seriously.

Before the negotiations started last year, labour and employer held pre-negotiation meeting to set the basis for negotiations. Despite that, the employer had been disindigenous and unreliable throughout these negotiations. The employer has been playing a “yo-yo” game about the percentage increase in salaries. The employer has precipitated this deadlock from the onset of the negotiations by claiming that they did not have mandate and now they are retreating.

The leaders of DENOSA will visit all provinces to hold meetings with structures in the wake of employer negotiating in bad faith. We appeal to all our members to attend the upcoming report-back sessions in order to mandate the leadership on the way forward.

End

Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)

For more information, contact:

Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President

Mobile: 079 501 4922

Or

Khaya Sodidi, DENOSA Chief Negotiator

Mobile: 082 775 7734

Website: www.denosa.org.za

Facebook: DENOSA National Page

Twitter: @DENOSAORG