Literally, government is refusing to come to the negotiating table, leaving the public service unions and most importantly the more than 100,000 public service workers, a frustrated lot once again. A frustrated public service, especially a very large public service such as ours, can spell disaster for a country, for the economy, for the government of the day and even for the ruling Party. It seems the lessons of the past have no meaning. They have not taught anyone, especially in government any wisdom.
It is this seemingly arrogant attitude of government when dealing with public service unions that cost the economy undisclosed billions in 2011 when the public service unions went into a protracted three-months strike whose reverberations were felt at the 2014 polls, where the ruling party was heavily bruised. One would have imagined that the lessons from the 2014 General Elections would have by now caused the ruling Party’s government to change its strategy for the better in its relations with the public service unions and with the public service by extension.
