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Statement on the Cabinet Meeting of 13 June 2007, Cape Town Cabinet
held its ordinary meeting in Cape Town this morning. Cabinet noted the
developments regarding the negotiations in the Public Service Bargaining Chamber
and the nature and form of the public sector strike. The meeting noted that the
negotiations were proceeding under the guidance of the mediators and an agreement
should be reached soon. Government and its negotiators are working around
the clock to ensure that a settlement is reached sooner rather than later. We
fully appreciate and welcome the role of the mediators and we are more than confident
that all parties will fully support them in this difficult task. We wish
to inform the public that the government offer will be going a long way to improve
the overall package paid to public servants. We are concerned that not enough
is being done by union leaders to inform their members of the details of the overall
package being offered, apart from the basic figure for the basic salary increase.
In addition to the annual increase 6,5%, or 7,25% as proposed by the mediators,
our offer includes increasing the housing allowance; increasing medical aid contribution;
a 25% adjustment to nightshift, special and danger allowances and full implementation
of overtime payment as per the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The adjustments
will amount, for those who access the housing allowance and belong to Government
Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), to an 18% increase for the lowest paid workers
and about 9,4 % for the highest paid employees in the public service. (The 18%
and 9% include the annual increment mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph).
This package recognises seniority, period of service, performance, qualifications,
scope and nature of work. For instance, employees with longer service will earn
higher salaries. In short, the 6,5% is a general increase which is the minimum
that every public servant will receive in addition to these benefits. While
the details of the Occupation Specific Dispensation will be negotiated, we envisage
for instance, that a professional nurse with the current starting salary of R79
000 per annum (excluding benefits) will see an increase to R90 000 and a nurse
with excellent performance of five years will receive an increase of 22%. The
starting salary of a teacher with a four-year qualification will increase from
R99 540 to R105 741 (excluding benefits). The suggestion that the state
is intransigent and is not interested in addressing the plight of employees is
based on misinformation and at best misleading. The strike has affected
mainly schools and hospitals with learners and the sick being the biggest losers
in the situation. Whilst most strikers have conducted themselves in a dignified
manner, Government is extremely disappointed that some have trampled on the right
of learners to learn, the right of the sick to gain access to urgent medical care
and the rights of those who want to work. In our view, no amount of anger
and frustration can justify the violent disruption of mid year-examinations, trashing
of an operation theatre in a hospital or preventing a pregnant mother from accessing
urgent medical attention. This situation is totally unacceptable. Government wants
to re-iterate that whilst our Constitution enshrines for the right to strike,
the use of violence and intimidation to force others to join a strike can never
be justified in a democracy, least of all, our democracy that so many of our people
died for. This government, and the majority of South Africans, must and
will condemn acts of violence and intimidation and will call on the strikers to
demonstrate their commitment to democratic principles and distance themselves
from the unruly behaviour that has characterised parts of the strike. The irresponsible
utterances of some of the union leaders, which amounted to incitement, is something
that is of great concern to government. Instead of distancing themselves from
the violence and intimidation, they have behaved in a manner that suggests that
they not only condone the unruly behaviour but actively promote it. We call on
all union leaders to refrain from utterances which could be construed as incitement
and to actively work towards creating a culture of good and responsible behaviour
during strike action. We also wish to clarify the misinformation coming
from some quarters suggesting that political office bearers have received salary
increases in excess of 50% as recommended by the Moseneke Commission. Nothing
could be further from the truth. These recommendations are exactly that and government
has not accepted them. The Presidency is communicating with the chairperson of
the commission and a final decision will be communicated once a decision has been
taken in this regard. Government will continue to deploy security forces
to protect innocent civilians, those who want to exercise their right not to strike,
to protect private and public property, and we will not hesitate to act against
those who take the law into their own hands. Our police services, supported by
army personnel, are under orders to arrest all those who break the laws. The principle
of no work no pay will apply as per the existing agreements with the unions. The
strike by employees in essential services is illegal and those who have participated
in the strike should not expect any sympathy as this is part of their conditions
of service. The meeting noted that United Nations (UN) Security Council
had adopted Resolution 1718 (2006) imposing sanctions against the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea and approved the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Working
Group to determine the most appropriate way for South Africa to implement the
provisions of the UN Resolution. The working Group will comprise of Defence, National
Treasury, Provincial and Local Government, Transport, Intelligence, Safety and
Security, Justice and Constitutional Development, Trade and Industry, Minerals
and Energy, Home Affairs, with Foreign Affairs as convenor. Cabinet noted
South Africa's participation in the International Development Association (IDA)
and the African Development Fund (IDF). The meeting noted the processes to replenish
the fund and related debates on the effectiveness of aid. The meeting approved
a minimum increase of South Africa's contribution to the IDA by 30% and a minimum
of 50% for the ADF. Meeting noted that South Africa will be hosting the
46th Session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) from
2 to 6 July 2007 in Cape Town, and that the African Union Commission will be holding
an extra ordinary session of the Ministers of Industry from 11 to 14 September.
A Ministerial Summit of the Group on Earth Observation to be held in Cape Town
from 27 to 30 November 2007. Cabinet approved a Policy on the Secondment
of Public Service Employees to multilateral organisations. This policy determines
the conditions and the terms that will guide government in seconding public servants
to these bodies. These public servants will undergo appropriate training prior
to their secondment. Cabinet approved the proposal for the creation of
the Technology Innovation Agency which will be established by the Department of
Science and Technology. The objectives of the agency will include the building
of a bridge between formal knowledge base and the economy and to stimulate the
development of technology-based services and products; and to stimulate the development
of the technology-based enterprises in the public and private sectors. A bill
will be tabled in Parliament in this regard. The Protocol on the Policy
and Regulatory Framework for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad)
Information and Communications Technology Broadband infrastructure network for
Eastern and Southern Africa was approved and will be submitted to Parliament for
final ratification. This protocol will, among other things, seek to harmonise
national and regional policies and regulations, ensure non-discriminatory open
access to the terrestrial as well as the submarine networks, facilitate African
ownership and governance of the network and provide for the creation of the Special
purpose vehicle that will own, develop, operate and maintain the network. The
following Bills were approved: - Rental Housing Bill
- Social
Housing Bill
- National Environment Management Amendment Bill
The
following appointments were approved: - Ms Baby Tyawa was appointed
as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Deputy Director-General - DDG) Strategy
and Content in Government Communications (GCIS)
- Mr NS Malebye, DDG Operations
in the Department of Public Works
- Mr SP Yawa, Regional Executive Manager
in the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Eastern Cape province
- Mr
GL Roberts, Regional Executive Manager in the South African Social Security Agency
(SASSA), Free State province
- Mr JG Smalberger, Regional Commissioner (DDG)
for the Western Cape province
Enquiries: Themba Maseko
(Government Spokesperson)
Cell: 083 645 0810 Issued by: Government
Communication and Information System
13 June 2007
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