The South African Revenue Service (SARS) asked taxpayers to avoid visiting their offices as the national strike over wage disputes and price hikes commences. Public Servants’ Association (PSA) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) began their strike action on Wednesday morning, in a dispute over price hikes.
SARS said the “disruption” caused by the wage strike which began on Wednesday was minimal and that customs operations at ports of entry had been without major interruptions. Taxpayers are encouraged to avoid visiting the SARS offices as the protest action continues.
While Nehawu and PSA put SARS Commissioner Edward Kiewswetter on notice of their intention to strike earlier this month, unions decided to move ahead with the strike amid SARS’s offer to channel savings towards salaries.
Labour is demanding a CPI plus 7% increase while Nehawu demands a 12% wage increase, but SARS responded and told unions that this is unaffordable. SARS maintained that the R3 billion boost from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget to boost the tax authority, did not account for tax authority.
“We realise that over the past few years’ remuneration and benefits has not kept up with inflation. Employees do not willingly withhold their labour because that in itself has a financial impact on them under already tough times. One has to understand, though, that when workers feel frustrated, they feel that by going on strike is the last resort for them to be heard,” said SARS Commissioner Edward Kiewswetter.
Source: Fin24, Eyewitness News, Business Day, image from Eyewitness News: City of Tshwane/Twitter