South African State Workers Reject Offer, Take to Streets

South African state workers were on the streets Thursday after unions rejected an increased salary offer from the government.
South African State Workers Reject Offer, Take to Streets
Health workers and nurses protest outside the King Edward hospital in Durban on September 2, 2010. (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images)
9/2/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/103780703.jpg" alt="Health workers and nurses protest outside the King Edward hospital in Durban on September 2, 2010.  (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Health workers and nurses protest outside the King Edward hospital in Durban on September 2, 2010.  (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1815160"/></a>
Health workers and nurses protest outside the King Edward hospital in Durban on September 2, 2010.  (Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images)
South African state workers were on the streets Thursday after unions rejected an increased salary offer from the government, according to South African news site, Times Live.

The South African government offered the workers’ unions a 7.5 percent wage increase and an 800 rand (US$108) monthly housing allowance. It had originally offered a 7 percent raise and 700 rand allowance. The unions want an 8.6 percent raise and a 1,000 rand allowance.

The government’s new offer would make it more difficult to reduce the country’s deficit of 6.7 percent of GDP.

The South African Doctors’ Forum, that represents a wide range of medical specialists, has called upon both the unions and government to do their best to end the strike that has left hospitals understaffed endangering critically ill patients, according to the Times Live.