BWgovernment JOINT PRESS STATEMENT - PUBLIC SERVICE SALARY NEGOTIATIONS The Council met on the 25th February and 5th March 2014 to continue with the 2013/14 Public Service Salary Negotiations following a ten day cooling off period, in terms of Clause 16.2 of the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) Rules of Engagement. Having failed to reach an agreement, the Employer party declared a deadlock on the 2013/14 Public Service Salary Negotiations. Consequently, any of the parties may refer the dispute to the Commissioner of Labour in accordance with the Trade Disputes Act. During the negotiations, parties had presented their positions as follows: TRADE UNION PARTY Submitted that they have utilized the cool off period to consult their constituents and make further reflections on the current salary negotiations. Their mandates are as follows: a) Not to accede to the employers proposal to abandon the 2013/14 Salary Negotiations; b) To continue requesting the Council to combine the 2013/14 and 2014/15 Salary Negotiations; or (c) The revised terms and conditions of service for the public service be submitted to the Council to form part of the 2013/14 Salary Negotiation instead of closing them completely without a win/win negotiation outcome. They explained that the implication of combining the two salary negotiations means that parties would have to agree on the implementation date. They accepted the 0% offer made by the Employer party on the understanding that it would be accompanied by the reviewed Conditions of Service as reflected in the previous concluding statement dated the 15th January 2014. The employer party had created a legitimate expectation that the conditions of service would be tabled during the 2013/14 salary negotiations.They indicated their willingness to give the employer party more time to seek fresh mandate, in view of the fact that they have made three movements while the employer party has not moved. It would be unfair to close the negotiations on a win-lose outcome. They further indicated their willingness to give the Employer party more time to conclude the conditions of service and table them before the Council to facilitate closure of the 2013/14 Salary Negotiations.They further explained that they cannot be drawn into matters that relate to the 2014/15 salary negotiations when the 2013/14 salary negotiations have not been concluded and the employer party not willing to combine them. They differed with the Employer party on the declaration of a deadlock. Their position was that if the Employer party was not ready to table their proposal on the reviewed Conditions of Service, the Council cannot be held at ransom hence the initial proposal tabled by the trade union party should be discussed as part of the 2013/14 Salary Negotiations. EMPLOYER PARTY Stated that they are not in a position to table the document on the consultancy on Conditions of Service as the process is not yet concluded. They maintained that their proposal will be tabled before the Council at a later stage as indicated in the previous meetings.They wanted further clarification from the trade union party on what the combination of the 2013/14and 2014/15 Salary Negotiations entails. They maintained their position that the Conditions of Service were not ready for discussion durinq the 2013/14 Salary Negotiations.They requested that the 2013/14 salary negotiations should be closed and move on to the 2014/15 Salary Negotiations, and further indicated that in addition to the 4% offered on salaries for 2014/15, they will also offer 4% increase on fixed allowances. They maintained that they did not require a fresh mandate as the conditions of service are not yet ready to be tabled before the Council and cannot also commit any time frame on when the Conditions of Service would be concluded. They indicated that as earlier stated in their response to the trade union submission, the outcome of the consultancy would inform the engagement process on the proposal by the Trade Union party.They indicated that it was evident that parties have reached a deadlock on the 2013/14 Salary Negotiations. They then declared a deadlock. THUS SIGNED ON THE 5TH DAY OF MARCH 2014. 1. Ms. Ruth Maphorisa For/EMPLOYER PARTY 2. Mr. Tobokani Rari For/TRADE UNION PARTY
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 06:44:00 +0000
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