NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2010
333. Mr M W Makhubela (COPE-Limpopo) to ask the Minister for the Public
Service and Administration:
(1) Whether he will engage the Commission for Conciliation,
Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in resolving the dispute over
the Public Service wage negotiations that have led to a strike
that has crippled the public sector; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(2) whether this is an indication that his department does not have
the expertise to resolve wage disputes; if not, what is the
position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) why has his department not engaged the CCMA earlier to resolve
these disputes? CW428E
REPLY
1. No, the Public Service has its own bargaining council.
2. No, this is not an indication that the department does not have the
expertise to resolve wage disputes. Wage disputes are dealt with by the
Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) which has its own
Dispute Resolution Procedure. In the current dispute parties have utilised
the existing dispute procedure, and the conciliation meetings held in May
and June 2010 issued a certificate of Non Resolution on the matter.
3. As indicated in the response to question 1, the PSCBC has its own
dispute resolution mechanism which was followed in resolving the current
dispute.