Parliament yesterday issued the institution’s salary offer to all staff. The salary offer was tabled during salary negotiations between Parliament’s management and the recognised trade union, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU).
These negotiations are not part of the salary negotiations between government and public service trade unions, over which public service employees embarked on a strike.
The offer from Parliament, first presented to NEHAWU, comprises two options.
Option one proposes a 7 percent salary increase across the board, effective from 1 April 2010.
Option two proposes a three-year package made up of:
- An 8.5 percent salary increase across the board, effective from 1 April 2010 for this financial year and, for the next two years, increases of 1 percent more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the end of March 2011 and 2012 or the National Treasury indicative figure, whichever one is higher
- If the CPI is less than 4 percent or more than 9 percent, negotiations would be reopened.
- If the CPI is between 4 percent and 9 percent, salaries would be adjusted in terms of the CPI of March of the relevant year, plus 1 percent.
NEHAWU has not yet accepted either of these two options.
The Labour Relations Act designates Parliament as an essential service whose employees may not embark on strike action. If a deadlock is reached in negotiations, the parties must submit to arbitration.
As a key institution promoting democracy Parliament does not bar its staff from embarking on protest action, provided the protest action does not disturb the work of the institution.
Permission for protest action within the Parliamentary precinct must first be obtained from the Secretary to Parliament and must be sanctioned by Parliament’s Presiding Officers.
The rules regulating protest action within the Parliamentary precinct were distributed to all staff on 20 August.
Staff have been picketing outside working hours and Parliament’s operations are proceeding as normal without hindrance
Source: Parliament of South Africa
