Government employees seal wage increase

South African government workers plan to accept an offer to increase their wages by 5.5%, less than half the percentage initially demanded by state employees.

“The majority of our members have accepted the 5.5% increase, so we will be signing the agreement,” Public Servants Association of South Africa spokesman Claude Naicker said by phone on Monday.

“There is a council meeting today where parties will append their signatures. If the majority of them have upended their signatures, then we have an agreement in place.”

The 5.5% increase offered by the government compares with the initial demand by public servants for a 12% hike.