South African civil servants demanded a pay rise that\u2019s more than double the inflation rate, a week after the nation\u2019s finance minister insisted the government can\u2019t afford increases.<\/p>\n
The Public Servants Association, which represents almost a quarter of a million government employees, said they want across-the-board wage increases of inflation plus four percentage points. Talks on a new pay deal began on Monday.<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni last week presented an annual budget that forecast a smaller-than-expected deficit in coming fiscal years. Those targets hinge on the government freezing public-sector salaries over the next three years, with the government proposing a \u201csignificant moderation\u201d in spending on wages.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment will negotiate on the basis of fairness, equity and affordability,\u201d Mboweni said on Feb. 24. \u201cA pact that exceeds the budgeted amounts would present a risk to the fiscal framework.\u201d<\/p>\n
Average inflation in South Africa last year was 3.3%.<\/p>\n
The PSA is currently fighting to get the government to honor a three-year deal struck in 2018 that the state reneged on last year. President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s rise to power in 2018 was backed by the party\u2019s powerful labor-union allies that vociferously oppose the three-year moratorium on wage increases.<\/p>\n