JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has strongly condemned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to approve a 3.5% to 4% salary increase for public office bearers, effective from April. In a fiery response to the pay hike, SAFTU demands reversal of the decision, arguing that the increases are entirely indefensible given the country’s severe economic crisis, skyrocketing unemployment, and worsening inequality.
SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi highlighted the catastrophic state of the economy, pointing to the latest Statistics South Africa report for the third quarter of 2026. According to Vavi, narrow unemployment has climbed to an unprecedented 33.7%, adding 97,000 new jobless individuals and bringing the total number of unemployed South Africans to 4.6 million under the narrow definition. When using the expanded definition, the unemployment rate surges to 44%, affecting 8.6 million people. Furthermore, labor underutilization has reached a staggering 47.3%, meaning nearly half of the country’s working-age population is without adequate work.
The federation emphasized that these unemployment levels are driving deepening poverty, with 67% of the population living below the upper-bound poverty line of R2,900 per month. Vavi criticized the timing and nature of the pay hikes, noting that the president alone will receive an extra R121,000 per year, or R10,000 a month.
“A R10,000 a month is what a majority of the South African working population is not getting,” Vavi stated, contrasting the political pay bump with a national median salary of around R6,000 and a national minimum wage of R5,500. He added that escalating costs of living and record-breaking petrol prices are consuming workers’ wages, leaving ordinary citizens unable to breathe while leadership demands more for a bloated cabinet.
Going beyond a simple reversal, SAFTU is calling for public office bearers to resign entirely and refuse any salary. To achieve this, the federation is urging a united front with the broader working class, civil society, progressive NGOs, and other trade union movements, including COSATU and FEDUSA. SAFTU is calling on these federations to convene a comprehensive working-class summit. The goal is to embark on a rolling program of mass action to force the current government to step down, arguing that the approaching 2030 targets—supposedly a milestone for the National Development Plan—are shaping up to be a “year of hell” due to aggressive government austerity programs.
During the press engagement Vavi, also addressed the ongoing internal strife within its largest affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). The union, which represents 360,000 workers, is currently embroiled in a bitter factional battle involving mutual suspensions of leadership and counter-suspensions.
Vavi noted that the current NUMSA leadership has failed to brief the federation on the internal conflicts, which are now destined for the courts to determine legitimacy. Describing the situation as a “great tragedy” for a union historically known for its militancy, innovation, and model trade unionism, SAFTU expressed hope that the legal skirmishes will end swiftly to unite the metalworkers and return NUMSA to its former glory.
