To echo the words of Cosatu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, “If 57 percent is good for the president, if 50 percent is good for the ministers, if 20 percent is good for the judges, then six percent is an insult to all of us.”
As an uncultured pleb looking up at the imposing hierarchy of government, I’ve considered throwing in my lot with the ‘downtrodden’ public servants. Surely if government is in the business of doling out lucrative pay-hikes, why should the grunts on the ground be left holding the empty money-bag while the powers that be get VIP seating on the gravy train?
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I cannot agree more that the drastic salary increases of government VIP's are highly questionable - especially in the light of the high unemployment rate and other social concerns that so desperately need attention.
But then the same could be said of COSATU. They obviously have a legitimate purpose in seeking to further the interests of their members, but this may come at the cost of the hundreds of thousands who cannot belong to a trade union (like COSATU) due to their unemployment. COSATU, being a member of the ruling party, should be aware of the other, more pressing socio-economic needs of South Africans.
One wonders if Zwelinzima Vavi is not trying to rally support for an "anti-Mbeki" presidential candidate, seeing that the ANC internal elections are due in a few months. (Nomikos)
According to The Mercury, COSATU's demands would include R15 billion on salaries alone, while pay progression would amount to R171 billion, housing allowances to R9.5 billion and the medical subsidy to R3.5 billion.
This amounts to a total of R198 billion - a significant percentage of tax payer money.
Goodness! I guess my tongue-in-cheek subtlety should be highlighted: while this country still suffers from rampant unemployment and other serious social ills, government should hardly be in the mood to give itself the proverbial financial pat on the back.
It's not only the government.
In private enterprise top management are in the habit of awarding themselves bigger pay increases than they do to their underlings. It's a question of who controls the purse-strings.
Absolutely. One doesn't need to be a politician to have the undying need to pad one's pockets.
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