So the strike that crippled the country is over, for now that is! During the strike, the Zuma administration came under fire with analysts saying the strike is crippling the relationship the ruling party has with trade unions.
The country lost approximately R1 billion each and everyday the strike continued. Money aside as it cannot buy lives. About seven innocent lives of patients who wanted medical treatment from hospitals died, all because public servants wanted money. It is a given that life should come before money but that wasn't the case during mass action this year. A lady gave birth in a car at a hospital somewhere in KZN but after being attended by doctors, she was declared fine and so was her little baby. Striking hospital workers attacked those who volunteered their services to saving lives.
In my opinion, public health care wasn't supposed to go on strike and shouldn't be allowed to strike, just as the police, the Defence Force and Correctional Services aren't allowed to strike. These are essential services without which, any country cannot function without.
On the other hand, you have public servants who are truly committed to their jobs and only demand what they deserve. I firmly believe that workers must be paid what they are worth. During this political biceps workout, trade unions showed the government what they are capable of and even displayed attributes of influencing their members' decision with regards to the strike and accepting the offer put on the table or not.
Ministers, director generals (DGs) and deputy director generals (DDGs) came under fire as Cosatu general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi revealed that Minister earn R150 000 per month and DGs earn about R100 000 per month. Meanwhile, you have some qualified and lowest paid nurses who earns R150 000 per annum. I personally believe it is workers at the coal-face of service delivery such as the police, teachers, nurses, doctors, prison warders etc etc, that must be remunarated at last R8 000 after deductions, depending on qualifications and experience. The government has developed what it calls career pathing and Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD). But that has, so far, showed no noticeable change and that can only be found in the spirit of unhappy employees. In this article, I shall not discuss lazy teachers, rude nurses and corrupt prison warders as that is a topic for another day. The government is failing dismally to implement the OSD which is directly linked to career pathing. Career pathing and OSD make it clear that, i.e a prison warder of a particular experience should be remunarated in a particular way that does justice to the years he dedicated looking after and rehabilitating hardened criminals. It is on this basis that I think the rioting public servants had a legimate concern but turning the sick away from clinics and hospitals is just simply not on.
The striking public servants were demanding an 8.5% salary increase backdated to 1 April 2010 and a R1 000 housing allowance. Initially, the government was offering only 6.5 percent and R600 housing allowance. A dispute was declared at the CCMA and the two parties entered into a dispute and workers took to the streets. It was only until recently that the employer was prepared to give a salary increase of 7.5% and an R800 housing allowance but workers didn't return to work immediately. It was only on the morning of 7 September that they returned to work.
As it is the case with any strike, it is no work no pay and employees' cars, houses and their Truworths and Bears accounts will be in arrears and this will reflect on their ITC.
The govrenment argues that it just simply cannot afford the 8.5% salary increase and the R1 000 housing allowance. In order for it to afford it, the government will have to stop building schools, hospitals and clinics, airports and also not pay attention to the potholes on our roads, amongst other thing.
I argue that, that argument is just simply pathetic and perhaps not even valid. Why, you ask! Firstly, the Correctional Services built a new prison in Kimberly, which is good because our prisions are severely overcrowded. The Department of Correctional Services spent over R30 million rand buying new LCD TV sets with full HD for the prison. A luxury that not even public servants who wake up @ 4:00 am and return home after 18:00 can afford. Top cop Bheki Cele is spending an unnecessary R500 million on a new building. Ministers are driving expensive cars worth over a million each with accessories that cost the price of your car. And, you and I are footing the bill.
Jacob Zuma's wives are travelling for free in SAA's business class and are receiving a whole lot of other benefits at the expense of the tax payer, hence Sonono Khoza seethes when she hears JZ will only marry her in 2012. All that she wants is for us to pay her bills. Yet the government says it doesn't have money to pay its workers.
Nurses and doctors, teachers and many others, are today back at work despite not being given what they demand. But JZ administration shouldn't celebrate yet, as the strike may resume in 21 days time.
The government must bridge the malicious gap in salaries between the fat cats and workers at the coal-face of service delivery. If Cosatu insists on this, it may just win because it has got support of the majority.
I acknowledge that Minister must fairly be remunarated but that shouldn't be done at the expense of other workers. Hang on, do Ministers work? What is their work. To be honest, the only things I know Minister do are to:
1. Engage in corruption
2. Fight corruption
3. Attend Imbizos
4. Hang out in Parliament debating with the DA
5. Attending African and International Conferences that after that, I as an ordinary man on the street don't see any change
6. Fire DGs who don't agree with them
7. Attend ANC conferences etc etc
The government must sit down with trade unions and come up with plans that will bridge the divide between greedy fat cats and poor public servants.
JZ, are we clear?
Pictures courtesy of News24.com