In successive meetings over two days, a delegation of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) met with the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, on Thursday, 31 May, and with representatives of COSATU and SADTU on Friday, 1 June. The delegation, led by the SACC President, Professor Russel Botman, emphasized that its mandate for these meetings came from "those at the margins of society, the poorest, the vulnerable and the marginalized."

Prof. Botman indicated at both meetings that the delegation – prompted by an initiative of the Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches (ECPCC) – met with government and the labour movements "not to express judgment on the facts at hand but rather to express our feelings on the messages and cries that emerge from South Africa’s poorest and marginalised people and communities."

"Such a position" Botman emphasized, "is never neutral and is always informed by a tradition of the Church that witnesses for social, political and economic justice."

Both the Minister of Public Service and Administration and the labour leaders expressed regret that the negotiation process had moved toward a deadlock that culminated in strike action, but both sides spoke in defence of their positions.

The Rev. Mcedisi Xundu, Chair of the ECPCC, clarified that the delegation had not come as brokers or arbitrators but to "offer our presence as a service through listening and reflection in order to contribute toward an enhanced dialogue that, hopefully, may enable a just, fair, and sustainable wage settlement."

The delegation heard from Minister Fraser-Moleketi that government had tabled a settlement plan that was more comprehensive than one based on labour’s annual call for incremental increases. Referring to a comprehensive package, the Minister revealed that more emphasis had been placed on strengthening an attractive deal for health and education professionals.

"Increases of between 50-56% were projected for those working at these levels while the entry levels were allocated increases of 6%." The reason for this differential, the Minister explained, results from the fact that government already remunerates its Level A workers with a package that was substantially more than that offered by the private sector. Government is also concerned about attracting and retaining a complement of qualified health, education and social work professionals.

Don Pasquallie, deputy General Secretary responsible for bargaining at the South African Democratic Teachers' Union, indicated, however, that government's offer of a 5,3% increase in April was already 0,6% lower than the CPIX measure of 5,9% for the same month this year. Government is currently offering workers 6,5% increase and, with the CPIX currently at 6,3%, the net proposed increase would amonut to 0,2%.

"Current research", says Pasquallie, "reveals that food and transportation costs range between 8 and 9%. Our current request for a 12% increase across the board and - under current agreement with increases linked to 0,2% above the CPIX - would make the real average wage increase over the past 3 years in effect only 2,5% per annum."

Other elements placed on the bargaining table by public service sector unions are for the current home owners' allowance to be replaced with a housing allowance as well as an agreement with government to implement an Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD).

The problem with the OSD, however, say trade unionists, is that government has as yet failed to put systems in place to evaluate progress. FUrthermore, they reject linking performance management to a CPIX-related increase in South Africa.

COSATU's Tony Ehrenreich pointed out that people on the ground have associated the wage dispute with an "ideological war" and that the economic choices that government makes appear to reinforce notions on the ground of "two economies", thereby further polarising society.

The SACC President, Prof Botman, expressed his opinion on the matter saying that more needed to be done by both sides in clarifying their positions to one another. Government could, for example, indicate in clearer cost and percentage terms what their comprehensive package - including incentives for health and education professionals - would be in comparison with the previous year's wage bill. Trade unions, on the other hand, could likewise articulate in percentage terms the cost of their overall total proposals - so that both sides "can compare apples with apples and understand each other with greater clarity."

The Reverend Andrew Hefkie, Bishop of the Methodist Church in the Cape of Good Hope District, reasoned that "the degeneration of negotiations into strike action - that involves essential services such as health, education and social welfare that affect largely poor and vulnerable people - is undesirable but, in the current context, understandable".

Both labour and government need to explain to the country how the positions of health, education and social work professionals will be improved by and after the the current negotiations. Speaking in the wake of clashes between striking and non-striking workers at the University of Stellenbosch, Prof. Botman appealed to trade unions to allow those who, through conscience, chose to work to do so and not coerce them into strike action. "The crucial question" says Prof. Botman, "is how and in what specific manner will the situation of the teacher, the health professional and the social worker be significantly transformed during and at the conclusion of these negotions?"

For further information contact:
Mr. Eddie Makue, SACC General Secretary (082 853 8781)
Rev. M O Xundu, Chair, Eastern Cape Provincial Council of Churches (082 853 2650).

Statement prepared on behalf of Prof. Russel Botman by Rev. Keith Vermeulen, SACC Parliamentary Office