SARS employees set to strike

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MLK

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:DWell this is good news for a change, take your time guys, no rush .....:D


Sars employees set to strike
August 03 2007 at 06:11PM

The SA Revenue Service (Sars) faces "indefinite" strike action following workers' rejection of a 7,5 percent wage increase.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Friday it had served notice of legal industrial action on the tax authority, effective from August 13.

"The 2007 wage negotiations between Sars and Nehawu have broken down, and all attempts to find a reasonable settlement have failed. Nehawu subsequently declared a wage dispute and concluded the internal dispute processes," it said.

Nehawu is the biggest union in Sars, representing 5 600 workers.

The union said its members had unanimously rejected a final offer by Sars of a 7,5 percent wage increase.




Nehawu is demanding 13 percent, with a minimum increase of R1 000 for low-paid workers, as well as increases in housing and medical aid allowances.

"We have been forced to withdraw our labour power as a last resort. All engagements with management have ceased, but Nehawu's door is open if they are ready to accede to our demands, and in so doing avoid an indefinite full-blown strike," the union said. - Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from...lick_id=594&art_id=nw20070803175723875C710549
 
YES! YES! YES! At last a strike I can support!!!

Oh, wait: tax collection grinds to a halt; all State services deteriorate (or more so than usual ;) ). Can't I get one bit of unalloyed joy....
 
whats with all the unions striking after each other.. i am beginning to wonder if its not a plan to get some extra holiday time too.
 
NameOfBeast: This will only hurt taxpayers. The taxes will still be due and payable, but the entire process will be less efficient and even more unpleasant.

Offtopic:
I heard recently that 10% of the SAA staff have taken between 3 and 6 months sick leave in one year. (Paid sick leave). No wonder they need taxpayers to bailing them out.
 
Actually a bit of a joke - SARS has two unions each representing about 50% of the employees. The one union (PSA) has already agreed to the increase for this year and will not strike. The other union's increase was unilaterally implemented by SARS and believe most of those union members don't really buy into the games Nehawu is playing.

Nehawu's membership will not make much of a difference to tax collection.
 
if you owe them money, the strike is good
if they owe you money, the strike is bad
 
As someone said, taxes will still be due and payable chum....
 
Everyone is striking. This is a national problem which needs to be addressed, if everyone demands a 5%+ wage increase inflation will not be kept in check below 6%.
These people are not more productive, better qualified than they were a year ago, they do not deserve a damn wage increase!
 
lsuacner said:
Everyone is striking. This is a national problem which needs to be addressed, if everyone demands a 5%+ wage increase inflation will not be kept in check below 6%.
These people are not more productive, better qualified than they were a year ago, they do not deserve a damn wage increase!
Click to expand...

That's such a stupid comment to make...unless of course you are your own boss. How does it help to get a below inflation increase? Can you stay motivated whilst earning less than what you earned the previous year...How do you even pay for your expenses like rent which goes up by 10% every year?
Unless a company can demonstrate that they made no profits the workers are entitled to an increase...finish and klaar...
I was given an increase of 3.8% which was way below inflation. I resigned soon thereafter. They came up with a huge counter offer to make me stay but I told them to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. (well i turned it down nicely but I wish I said that:D )
Most of the low level workers do not hold such bargaining power as they can be easily replaced. A strike is the only amunition they have at their disposal.
 
Unfortunately for the strikers they generally land up with less in their pockets at the the end of the day. Employers implement a "no work, no pay" strategy which they are quite entitled to do.

So let's say you earn R1500/mth and your union strikes for 1 month in order to get you a 10% increase instead of 5%

You lose 1 mths salary
Your "won" increase amounts to an additional R75
It would take you 20 months to break even. By then you probably would have gone on another strike which cost you more money.

Think the union gives a ****???
 
The problem that needs to be addressed is education.

Most of us would take one look at those figures and laugh at the union for being such a bunch of dumbasses.
Unfortunately the uneducated worker sees the union boss as his hero and would likely run naked through a raging fire if incited by said union
 
Bageloo said:
.
Click to expand...

Inflation is a necessary evil to reduce your employees' salaries. On paper they get the same amount, if your employees are overpaid for the work they perform, inflation is your only way to reduce their salaries.

Say you know employees can produce 100 widgets a day at normal volume but they continue to produce only 80 a day. Do not give them a raise and pocket the money they would have received in wage increases.

If my employees produced 100 widgets and more, they are more productive and deserve to be paid more.

Working hard for little money in the hope to be paid more over the long-term is something most South-Africans will never comprehend.
 
McSack said:
Unfortunately for the strikers they generally land up with less in their pockets at the the end of the day. Employers implement a "no work, no pay" strategy which they are quite entitled to do.

So let's say you earn R1500/mth and your union strikes for 1 month in order to get you a 10% increase instead of 5%

You lose 1 mths salary
Your "won" increase amounts to an additional R75
It would take you 20 months to break even. By then you probably would have gone on another strike which cost you more money.

Think the union gives a ****???
Click to expand...

But they would not have worked for the month when they were on strike, so you can't really count that as a loss to them (It's only a loss if you worked and didn't get paid). You also forget that getting 10% this year instead of 5% means an increase on the additional 5% the following year. Sometimes employers are smart and try to avoid this effect by giving once-off payments or an increase in benefits instead.
 
lsuacner said:
Inflation is a necessary evil to reduce your employees' salaries. On paper they get the same amount, if your employees are overpaid for the work they perform, inflation is your only way to reduce their salaries.

Say you know employees can produce 100 widgets a day at normal volume but they continue to produce only 80 a day. Do not give them a raise and pocket the money they would have received in wage increases.

If my employees produced 100 widgets and more, they are more productive and deserve to be paid more.

Working hard for little money in the hope to be paid more over the long-term is something most South-Africans will never comprehend.
Click to expand...

You are right I can never comprehend how working hard for less money can lead to being paid more in the future. My experience tells me that prospective employers look at your current salary and then pay you just a little more. If you are paid less you are likely to get paid less all your life...

A company that makes profits can reward their employees for either increased output or reduced costs. In the case of SARS, they have been collecting more and more and more revenues every year. This must be taking it's toll on the workers who must handle an extra load evey year.
 
Bageloo said:
You are right I can never comprehend how working hard for less money can lead to being paid more in the future. My experience tells me that prospective employers look at your current salary and then pay you just a little more. If you are paid less you are likely to get paid less all your life...

A company that makes profits can reward their employees for either increased output or reduced costs. In the case of SARS, they have been collecting more and more and more revenues every year. This must be taking it's toll on the workers who must handle an extra load evey year.
Click to expand...

Don't think collecting more means more work performed. Automation through PCs and other means of collecting tax, PAYE reduces their work load.

If my mom or dad worked there, I suppose I would have argued for a wage increase, but these days everyone is asking for an increase. Watch out, we won't reach the inflation targets this year.
 
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