THE government’s IT services could be severely disrupted from next week when employees of the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) go on strike over the entity’s refusal to increase their salaries by 7.5%.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has received a mandate from its members working for Sita after the agency refused to budge and accede to the union's demand for a 7.5% wage hike. Sita says its offer of 4.5% is final.
According to the PSA, which represents 80% of the entire total Sita workforce, this week’s lunchtime picketing intensified in all offices ahead of the plan to go a full blown strike action from Wednesday, October 18.
By the end of March last year, Sita had nearly 3 300 employees, according to its 2021/22 annual report.
PSA general manager Reuben Maleka told the Sunday Independent that the strike will have a huge impact on government institutions.
”The strike will cripple the entire government internet and network for every state entity and government departments, including service departments such as home affairs, licensing by the department of transport and the SA Social Security Agency, etc,” he said.
Maleka added that Sita blamed a lack of funding or insufficient budget for refusing to increase its employees’ salaries by 7.5%.
Sita provides and procures ICT goods and services on behalf of government departments and public entities, as well as internet solutions for several government websites, including the Presidency, the SA Police Service and others on the .gov.za domain.
Negotiations between the PSA and Sita for salary increases for the 2023/24 financial year deadlocked, and the union lodged a dispute, after which parties agreed to a mediation process.
Sita tabled the 4.5% offer as final on September 28, while the PSA maintained its 7.5% demand.
The PSA decided to embark on a strike action after a certificate on non-resolution was issued.
Initially, earlier this year, the union tabled demands for a 12% across the board wage hike, increases to the standby allowance from R200 to R250, data allowance from R350 to R500, and voice allowance from 500 to 700 minutes, as well as insourcing of security guards and cleaners.
In the midst of the negotiations, the previous Sita board were fired, and Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele appointed an interim board in July.
When Sita finally responded, it offered its staff a 2% increase based on its poor performance in the previous financial year.
Sita also indicated that increasing the standby allowance was not financially viable due to its poor performance and that the demand to increase data and voice allowances could not be met as the agency was reviewing its policies.
On the insourcing of security guards and cleaners, Sita said it required more time to determine whether this would be financially viable and the implications on its finances.
Sita stated that insourcing security guards and cleaners was a complex project needing sufficient time to be researched before discussions.
The PSA rejected the 2% salary increase offer and described it as an insult, and revised its demand to 9%, after which Sita improved its offer to 2.9%.
Sita’s Tlali Tlali said since the commencement of the industrial action by the PSA on Monday the agency activated its contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the industrial action on service delivery to the government.
”The plans include reconstituting structures responsible for operational oversight and business continuity. To date, there has not been any service delivery failure occasioned by the industrial action,” he said.
Tlali said Sita’s business continuity measures will remain in place and its clients and stakeholders will be kept abreast with regular updates on the state of operations.
”The focus of attention must be on averting further escalation of the situation to avoid possible impact on government and members of the public,” he explained.
This week, Sita invited PSA to yet another meeting but a breakthrough could not be reached, according to Tlali.
”Other avenues are currently being explored and updates on these will be communicated once the outcomes are known,” he said.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za