The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] condemns the decision by President Ramaphosa to approve an increase in salaries for Public Office Bearers by 3.8% following recommendations by the Independent Commission for Remuneration for Public Office.
The approval to increase the salaries of Public Office Bearers occurs against the background of an economy that remains stagnant with a low growth rate for the foreseeable future. This is largely as a result of the dogmatic pursuance and implementation of neo-liberal macroeconomic policies centred on austerity measures. These policies have been reproducing the prevailing crisis-levels in the rates of unemployment, poverty and inequalities.
The implementation of austerity measures have had a devastating impact on the capacity and capability of the state to provide public services to the working class and rural poor. The public service has been severely weakened, especially with regard to its capacity because of a number of factors, which include amongst others the non-filling of vacancies as a result of the multiple years of the Treasury’s austerity measures.
We must remind the public that we refused as NEHAWU to sign the PSCBC resolution 1 of 2025 which said that public servants in the second year of the agreement must receive a mere CPI which is around 3.5% and we were told that it is because of the tight fiscal. The same people who pleaded poverty to workers are granting themselves a 3.8% to the millions they earn every year.
As NEHAWU, we find completely unprincipled for President Ramaphosa to approve the increment amidst the challenges confronting the country, which by the way are as a result of the dismal failure of Public Office Bearers to govern this country.
The current crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality has brought about miseries, pains and suffocation to workers and the working class in its entirety thereby threatening their livelihoods. The overall unemployment rate remains elevated at a crisis proportion of about 12 million people or 43% of the workforce, more than two-thirds of whom are the country’s young people.
The conditions of life for workers and the working class continues to get worse, and this is evident with the rising costs of basic necessities, high interest rates, job cuts and wage cuts.
Public Office Bearers should not be exempted from the conditions and plight that confronts the rest of the country.
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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
