SOUTH African Revenue Service (Sars) employees took to the streets on Wednesday, 25 May, to show their unhappiness with their employer.
Members of Nehawu and the Public Servants Association (PSA) marched to the National Treasury to deliver a memorandum of demands.
They said the offer of 1,39% while they were asking for a 7% increase was an insult.
The march came after negotiations between union representatives and Sars reached a deadlock earlier in the week.
Nehawu was initially demanding a 12% increase while Sars was offering nothing.
Sars made a last minute U-turn, which the workers declined. Sars said the R3 billion boost it received from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana didn’t cover wage hikes and it would have to reach into its savings.
The workers called on Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter to step down. Some said they missed former commissioner Tom Moyane. Worker Mapula Tlou said: “We are being taken for granted here and 0% is a slap in the face, looking at the cost of living.”
Nehawu national spokesman Lwazi Nkolonzi said the union was embarking on a full-blown national strike.
Acting provincial manager of PSA Stefan Viljoen said they were forced to protest as they had demands Sars failed to meet.
The marchers were made even more angry when they arrived at the Treasury’s offices only to be told the head of security would be receiving their memorandum.
They refused to hand it over until a senior official came.
Director of corporate services Lutendo Ramalebana later arrived to receive the memorandum. The marchers said if their demands were not met soon, they would return.