NEHAWU signs a wage agreement in legislature sector
19 January 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] as a majority union in the Legislative Sector has on the 14th January 2022 concluded a 2021/2022 wage increment agreement with the Legislature Employers Organisation, which represents the employer in the 8 Provincial Legislatures and National Parliament.
This agreement comes after protracted negotiations, which almost saw the collapse of the National Bargaining Forum, as the employer in the sector was confident that they were going to implement a zero percent salary increment for our members. Parties have since resolved the impasse and concluded an agreement that in the main will cover the following areas: salaries, medical aid, housing allowance, 13th Cheque and Car Allowance for the financial year 2021/22.
This will see employees in the bargaining unit receive a base line salary increment of 1.5% that will be calculated based on total cost to company and back dated to April 2021. Furthermore, employees will receive a once off non-pensionable cash payment R 22 000.00 calculated at R 1833.33 per month for employees that were employed on or before 1st April 2021, with those employees employed after the 01st April 2021 receiving a pro rata amount of R 1833. 33 per month based on the number of months employed.
Lastly parties have agreed to prioritise the long outstanding matter of the harmonisation of conditions of service and benefits (scheme) in order to level the playing fields in the Legislative Sector and this process will commence in March 2022. This matter is long overdue as conditions of service differ from province to province including the national parliament. The national union applauds the work done by the negotiating team in defending collective bargaining.
The national union will ensure that the harmonisation process is finalised so as to make way for the next round of negotiations for the circle 2022/2023, including finalising centralised bargaining in the sector which include the Western Cape Province.
Issued by Zola Saphethae, General Secretary, NEHAWU, 19 January 2022
