Cape Town — Public servant workers have embarked on a nationwide strike in a demonstration calling for higher wages, Eyewitness News reports. The workers are on a one-day stay-away in opposition to of a 3% wage hike offered by government; unions have called for a 10% increase instead. Government instituted the 3% increase unilaterally in October after wage negotiations with unions failed to make progress.
The Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) recommended that citizens avoid the Department of Transport and Home Affairs offices. Workers in cities including Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban, are also expected to join the the strike.
Disruptions at governmental offices would be widescale, PSA spokesperson warned, saying: “Department of Home Affairs where your ID and passport arrangements are being done and processed that will definitely be affected. The Department of Transport where you process your driver’s licence and your car licences as well will definitely be affected.
“The Department of Labour, border control areas as far as people coming in and out of our country, as well as goods coming into and out of the country, you should probably try another day to get your stuff processed.”
Government, however, assured that disruptions would be kept to a minimum, having planned contingencies ahead of the strike.