COSATU: Mboweni’s Plan To Slash Public Servants’ Salaries ‘A Declaration of War’

The Congress of South African Trade Unions on Thursday lashed out at Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s 2020 Budget Speech, saying government’s plan to cut the public wage sector bill was ‘silly’ and ‘tiresome.’

“COSATU finds the government’s continuous attacks on public servants silly and tiresome. Little recognition is given to the conditions facing public servants, like being overworked and underpaid,” the trade union federation said.

Cosatu’s general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the union rejected the government’s narrow fixation with the public service wage bill.

He said the fixation with the public sector wage bill was ‘nonsensical’ when considering the fact that it has been stable for the past 10 years at 35% of the government consolidated expenditure, in line with international standards. 

“The cuts have severe gender implications because the public service has been has been an important source of good jobs for women. This feeble and inflammatory budget is a