Engineering employers have offered 4,7% plus 2% for the lowest grades. Workers are not happy with this 6,7% offer.

The offer may be above the inflation rate, but if you are already earning very little, the increase in your take home pay is equally small.

An engineering worker on the lowest grade earns R13.78 per hour. With a 40-hour week, she will earn an extra R36,93 per week with a 6,7% increase.

But for a Tshwane local worker, two thirds of this will go to paying for the extra taxi fare leaving an extra R13 per week to pay for all other items whose prices have risen.

With budget constraints like these, Minister Trevor Manuel should get advice from workers who constantly have to balance rising expenses with smaller increases in income!