Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
Government employees embarked on protests across the country, voicing their unhappiness over the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)’s 9.8 percent hike.
Public servants in Kimberley in the Northern Cape took to the streets, arguing that the increase will put further pressure on the financial stability of civil servants.
NEHAWU Provincial Secretary Moleme Moleme says, “We are here to picket against the exorbitant increase in GEMS against public service. GEMS has been increasing for the past couple of years without the consultation of workers and we have not seen the benefits of the medical scheme improving. The genesis of this is that this medical scheme was presented to us as an ideal medical scheme that is affordable to the public. Now, we are picketing here to raise or register our frustration”.
Government employees affiliated to COSATU also demonstrated outside the Government Employee Medical Scheme offices in Mbombela, Mpumalanga. The members are calling for the medical aid scheme to reverse the increase. Mbombela COSATU secretary Themba Xumalo says the hike outpaces inflation and wage growth among others. Xumalo called on the investigation of the Medical Scheme executives.
“This is a direct reversal of the gains that we are achieving in terms of the implementation of the NHI you can imagine in 2025 the salary increases were at 5.5% yet GEMS increase its tariffs by 13.4% in 2026/27 the salary increase that the government employees are going to receive is at 4% and GEMS this time is increasing by 9.8%, so technically is way above 23% in terms of combinations of the two years”, he adds.
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/1108118-2/
