Johannesburg, South Africa, Jun 15, 2007 / 09:41 am
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) is calling for the public servants strike in the country to be carried out in lawful manner and for both parties to return to the negotiating table to find a speedy solution.
In a press release this week, the bishops expressed concern about the deteriorating situation of the labor strike, which began June 1.
“Our constitution upholds the democratic right to strike, but only as a last resort, when all avenues of negotiation have been exhausted,” wrote SACBC president Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg. “The fact that there were eight months of negotiation before the strike began in June 1 begs the question whether these negotiations were done in good faith.
“Public servants are a vital element in the running of any state and should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” he continued. “In this regard, the debate around large salary increases at the level of Parliament and the Executive and refusing to pay a just salary at other levels of the state does pose a serious moral problem.”