South Africa: Taxing Time - Hundreds of SARS Workers Out On National Strike for Higher Wages

Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
Hundreds of people wait in a queue outside the South African Revenue Service (SARS) office in Cape Town (file photo).
25 May 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Chris Gilili and Marecia Damons

Nehawu and the PSA have rejected the SA Revenue Service's offer of a 1.4% increase. The unions are demanding a 7% increase, among other benefits.

Hundreds of South African Revenue Services (SARS) workers picketed outside their offices on Wednesday to mark the start of a nationwide strike for higher wages and benefits.

The workers, affiliated with the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA), are demanding an across-the-board wage increase of 7%.

This comes as negotiations, which started in January, between union representatives and SARS deadlocked this week. SARS initially tabled no increase, while workers demanded 12%.

According to Nehawu and the PSA, SARS has since offered a 1.4% increase while workers are demanding 7%.

The unions are also demanding, among other things, 10 more days of annual leave specifically for Covid, medical aid, a housing allowance for all employees and a R2,000 "token of appreciation" payment to staff over 60.

In an earlier statement, SARS said: "Like all government institutions, SARS is affected by the financial challenges facing the country, and as a result, in SARS' funding allocation from the National Treasury, no provision was made for salary increases."

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