The Department of Public Service and Administration organized a two-day Government Caucus meeting in Magalisburg that drew representatives from National Treasury, the Police represented by National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (SCBC), and provincial departments representatives.
The purpose of the gathering was to reflect on the recent public service wage negotiations and explore funding mechanisms for the current wage agreement between the government and public sector unions.
Department of Public Service and Administration (PSA) Director General, Ms Yoliswa Makhasi called the recent wage negotiation period as “having redefined Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining within the Public Service.”
She noted that the 2018-2023 period was characterized by severe strain on the government fiscus due to economic downturns, the emergence of COVID-19, and legal challenges between labour and government. DG Makhasi called for restoring cordial working relations with labour, emphasizing that the process needs to establish internal coherence before engaging labour.
The retreat deliberated on various options and measures to manage the wage bill without limiting the government’s ability to deliver services.
The Chief Negotiator at DPSA, Mr Mompati Galorale, and PSCBC General Secretary, Mr Frikkie De Bruin, called for various policy measures to ensure that future negotiations are better managed to avoid crippling strike actions that can hinder service delivery and political stability.
The session indicated that the wage bill is growing and needs strategic management. Delegates indicated that the cost implications of the cost-of-living adjustment will need a multi-pronged approach to ensure that service delivery is prioritized.
The final day began with a report on the government Personnel Expenditure Review (PER) research project.
The final day’s themes included discussions on the relevance and importance of the Minimum Service Agreement and the progress thereof, the implementation of the Public Service Declaration Summit, a report on the Government Employees Housing Scheme progress since the Public Service Summit in March 2022 and progress reports on the rollout of the Integrated Financial Management System.
It is hoped that the Government Caucus meeting will pave the way forward for better public service management, efficiency, and accountability.