STAFF REPORTER
THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has noted with grave disappointment the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to award all public office bearers and Judges a 3% salary increase.
On Saturday, Ramaphosa made a determination to increase salaries of all public servants by 3%, with effect from 1 April 2022.
The determination follows recommendations made by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers (the Commission) submitted to the President on 17 April 2023.
The Commission recommended a 3.8% salary increment for all public office bearers including members of the Independent Constitutional Institutions, Judges, Magistrates and Traditional Leaders for the financial year 2022/2023.
Having considered the Commission’s recommendations and serious economic challenges facing the country, Ramaphosa then decided that the salaries of all public office bearers be increased by 3%.
Cosatu said the majority of poor South Africans are facing mounting social challenges and said it is about time that political leaders show some solidarity with the suffering masses.
Cosatu Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks said load shedding, the rising cost of living, corruption and a stagnant economy have all happened under the watch and leadership of political office bearers.
He said ministers do not deserve the packages they currently earn let alone an increase in their salaries.
“This is a tone deaf and embarrassing decision that should have been rejected by President Cyril Ramaphosa. What is most galling is that the President chose to ignore the recommendation by the Treasury for a 1.5% increase for political office bearers and judges and instead opted to increase it to 3%,” Parks said.
He said judges all the way to the Constitutional Court rejected the case of public service workers who wanted the government to pay them the money that was due to them from the third leg of a three-year agreement Resolution 1 of 2018.
“Yet the judiciary expects increases for itself citing the rising costs of living whilst it thought little of dismissing the same rationale for poorly paid cleaners, teachers, security guards and other public servants,” he said.
He said it is hypocritical for government to implement a 3% increase for political office bearers and judges to avoid them “becoming demoralised”, whilst it has shown little compunction for imposing wage freezes and below CPI increases on police nurses and doctors working 48-hour shifts or police officers who on average lose at least member weekly to criminal attacks.
The Federation said the huge salaries and benefits that are paid to political office bearers and senior bureaucrats are the source of the existing inequalities and unacceptable income disparities that currently exist in the public service.
“The lowly public servants like police officers, nurses and teachers will have to work for nine (9)years before earning an annual salary of a director-general or a judge.
“It is about time that the terms of reference of the Independent Commission Remuneration on Public Office Bearers be extended to require it to consult with the public and not only Members of Cabinet who have a direct conflict of interest in its recommendations,” he said.
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