The Department of Public Service and Administration is moving with speed to complete the reconfiguration of government before the end of the year, says Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga.
The Deputy Minister was speaking at the 9th National Elective Congress of the Public and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (PAWUSA) in Bloemfontein recently.
“We are skilling public servants on the aspects of policy refinement leading to implementation thus improving efficiencies across the Public Service,” she said.
Ms Chikunga said DPSA is continuing with efforts of establishing a fully-fledged Public Administration Ethics Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit.
This, she said, include finalization of its location in the Department’s proposed organizational structure, adding that honesty, transparency and the anti-corruption culture should be protected and promoted, if not rewarded.
The Deputy Minister said since the institutionalization of collective bargaining in the public service, the system has produced very crucial collective agreements.
She singled out the multi-term agreements on salary adjustments and improvements on conditions of service in the public service with the latest such agreement being the periods 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
“These agreements have undoubtedly resulted in improvements in wages and conditions of service, including job security. There is a relatively good relationship between government and labour.
“We have done relatively well with collective bargaining that is on the improvement of conditions of service and pay in the public service over the years, notwithstanding the fiscal constraints we have faced,” she said.
Deputy Minister Chikunga said labour peace at all times and more so during times of economic uncertainty is always underpinned by fairness.
“Allow us to emphasize that it is critical that we work for a productive and stable public service.
“We will therefore, continue to collaborate with all of you in order to ensure that the public service machinery functions properly, with the ultimate goal of delivering efficient services to the people,” she said.
