Airport operations not affected by PSA strike as they carry on as usual

A strike by the Public Servants Association of SA (PSA), which was anticipated to impede immigration processing and other crucial government operations like those at Home Affairs, has not yet had an impact on South Africa’s international airports.

The PSA, which represents more than 235 000 workers, began its strike on Thursday and is calling for a 6.5% wage raise, which is higher than the 3% the government has announced it will impose unilaterally.

Key government ministries, including Home Affairs and border control immigration services at the airports, will be impacted, according to PSA spokeswoman Claude Naicker in an interview with Moneyweb.

However, operations at all three of the country’s major international airports continued as usual by Thursday afternoon since the strike’s effects had not yet been seen, according to Gopolang Peme, group manager for communications at Airports Company South Africa (Acsa).

“Operations are normal [with] no impact of strike action. All agencies remain on alert as the situation can change through the day. This is the status at all three [major] international airports,” said Peme.

The Department of Public Service and Administration said public services would function regularly and be available to the general public in a statement released on Wednesday.

It reaffirmed that a 3% rise would be paid into employees’ accounts as well as a monthly gratuity payment of R1,000 until the end of March 2019.

The government’s offer, according to Naicker, would be more enticing if the terms of the gratuity payout were renegotiated, since the PSA would want to see it prolonged.

“The biggest problem at the moment is the cash gratuity which comes to an end on 31 March 2023. Unfortunately, the 3% is part of the package deal with the cash gratuity. I think if the cash gratuity continues next year, whilst we finalise negotiations for next year or if there’s a delay, then members will not be out of pocket,” Naicker said.

More employees might go on strike.

Public healthcare employees in the nation who are members of the Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) and who are seeking a 10% pay raise have now announced they are prepared to strike, according to Mbuso Shozi, a spokesman for Hospersa Gauteng.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), which intends to offer a briefing in the coming week, will now be the focus of attention.