Lerato Mbhiza
Members of the Public Servants Association (PSA) employed at the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA) are set to go on a full blown strike on Wednesday demanding a salary increase of 7.5% while the employer’s last offer was 5%.
PSA spokesperson Reuben Maleka said the union is disappointed by the offer and warned that the strike action will result in the disruption of services in hospitals, Home Affairs and at SASSA grant payment points.
“Our demand is 7,5% which is a settlement range that we have reached from an initial 12%. The employer on Monday came up with a provocation of wanting to implement a 5% increase instead of engaging with us.
“As the PSA we are very disappointed with the conduct of the employer. Our members are more than upset because they are saying this shows arrogance and unappreciation by SITA.
“Hospitals and clinics, licence departments, police services through 10111, they will not be able to do anything because they need technology to work, they need laptops and whatever systems that are in the hands of SITA.”
SITA spokesperson Tladi Tladi said the agency has not yet experienced any issues linked to the strike.
“Equally we would like to place on record that since the commencement of the industrial action, or the intensified version thereof as of yesterday (Tuesday), SITA has not experienced any service delivery failure that can be linked to the industrial action by the Public Servants Association.
“Since the receipt of the notice of intention to embark on an industrial action initiated our internal processes where we activated contingency plans in ensuring that we put structures in place to provide oversight over critical points that render service to government for government to be able to render services to the public.”
Tladi added that the agency remains willing to engage with the association.
“Indeed as from yesterday (Tuesday), members of the PSA downed tools or sections thereof where they were camping outside our offices mainly in our Pretoria and Centurion offices.
“We reached out to them on a number of occasions including Monday morning where we presented them an improved revised final offer which was rejected by the union,” he said.
The DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Communications and Technologies Tsholofelo Bodlani has warned against any disruption to critical government services, as this ultimately affects the most vulnerable.
“We do not wish for September’s events, which left SASSA recipients stranded, to repeat themselves. We call on the Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, and Cabinet to ensure contingencies are in place and that the delivery of services continues undisrupted”.
“The situation, as matters stand, is that there is no movement from either side. However, SITA would like to indicate to labour that they are stilling willing to sit down with them in order to have a fresh look at the situation and to approach these issues with open minds, exercising flexibility, taking all practical considerations into account in order to ensure that we safeguard the continued existence of the company going forward.” Said Bodlani
“SITA’s primary role is to consolidate state IT resources to streamline processes, improve delivery and save cost”
Bodlani said services which rely on SITA, in the Home Affairs, SASSA, and Labour and Employment departments will be severely hampered by the initiated strike. While these services already operate very badly, strike action threatens to put them to a standstill.
“SITA is responsible for providing Government with IT services, and while it continues to fail in its mandate, it is nonetheless crucial to essential Government operations, such as the delivery of SASSA grants and the issuing of ID books”‘.
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