The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called for good faith negotiations in the public sector as unions table a 12% wage increase demand for workers for the 2025 financial year.
Cosatu, Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and independent unions have formed a unit through the labour caucus on a consolidated approach next year's wage talks at the public service coordinating bargaining council.
Cosatu Convener, Khaya Sodidi says the employer is offering 3%, a proposal the unions have rejected.
Sodisi says, "Our demand is 12%. We have learnt from what happened in the past, we would in the future renege from what we have agreed on."
"We want to as labour and coming into these negotiations in good faith and expecting the same return from the employer and we will negotiate in good faith, and we will make sure that they do what they did. We are very protective of the collective bargaining councils because this is our hard fought gains," He adds.
