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South African government to sack thousands

The Public and Allied Workers Union (PAWUSA) met with South African government representatives June22 to negotiate on the planned retrenchment of over 55,000 public sector workers.

The ANC government has announced retrenchments to start at the end of August. It plans to set up agencies in every department to streamline the sackings by advising workers on alternative employment.

A PAWUSA spokesman said the union would reject the retrenchment proposal, but it has announced no industrial action to oppose the sackings. Instead it has urged the government to stop filling vacant public sector positions and to retrench all employees who have reached the retirement age of 65.

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