The Public Servants Association (PSA)has raised alarm over prolonged precautionary suspensions in the public service
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The Public Servants Association (PSA) has raised alarm over prolonged precautionary suspensions in the public service, saying they have cost the government over R1 billion in five years.
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, the union said suspensions are often left unresolved for years.
"Over the five-year period from the 2021/22- to the 2025/26-financial years, government has spent more than R1 billion cumulatively on salaries and benefits of employees placed on prolonged, paid suspension across national, provincial, and local government," the union said.
"In several instances, public servants have remained on suspension for multiple years, whilst disciplinary processes remain unresolved. This constitutes wasteful expenditure and reflects serious weaknesses in governance and discipline management".
The union added that precautionary suspensions are meant to be temporary, but when they drag on, they point to poor case management and weak accountability.
"The impact is far-reaching. Prolonged suspensions inflate the public wage bill without commensurate service delivery, exacerbate staff shortages in critical sectors such as education, health, policing, justice, and municipalities, and increase workloads for remaining employees.
"Communities ultimately suffer through declining service delivery and loss of trust in public institutions. Employees on extended suspension also face reputational damage, emotional distress, and career stagnation".
The union called for "urgent action to enforce strict disciplinary timeframes, strengthen internal labour-relations capacity".
"Of particular concern is the high number of senior managers suspended for lengthy periods at significant cost, undermining leadership stability and accountability".
IOL previously reported that the National Treasury has reiterated that it is taking a multi-pronged approach to manage the growth in the government's wage bill, including a staggered early-retirement programme, auditing the number of employees on the government's payroll, and professionalising the public service.
This comes as salaries and benefits of employees accounts for nearly one-third of the government's consolidated expenditure.
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
IOL Business