By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Parliament has welcomed the 2021/22 wage agreement between the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the South African Legislature Employers’ Organisation.
The two bodies concluded the negotiations on Friday, and the agreement is as follows:
- An annual increase of 1.5% on the total salary package of all employees in the legislative sector for the 2021/22 financial year,
- A once-off payment of R22,000 (i.e. R1,833.3 per month for the period 1st April 2021 to 30th March 2022) for all employees of the South African Legislative Sector,
- The negotiation team to start working on the harmonisation process by March 2022
- Implementation of 1 to 2 above shall be on or before 15th February 2022.
In a statement issued by Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo yesterday, it was confirmed the salary negotiations for the South African Legislature Employers’ Organisation, representing provincial legislatures and Parliament, were concluded last Friday.
The union had threatened a strike that could have brought Parliament and the nine legislatures to its knees and could have affected this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Parliament management also met with Nehawu leaders on Monday over the safety of the buildings destroyed in the fire earlier this month.
Parliament reiterated only the National Assembly, Old Assembly, and the National Council of Provinces’ buildings were affected by the fire and were currently off-limits to staff. The other buildings, including the Marks building, 90 Plein, 100 Plein, and the Good Hope Centre, were open and safe for officials.
“Despite the devastation of the fire disaster that gutted parts of the parliamentary precinct, Parliament once again assures workers of their safety in buildings that were not affected by the fire,”Mothapo said.