Public sector unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) have given the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) seven days to reverse the 9.8% premium hike contribution for 2026.

They staged a demonstration outside the GEMS headquarters in Pretoria.

Government workers say GEMS is supposed to be an affordable medical scheme.

Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi says the premium hike is ridiculous.

“This is a medical aid that was constituted by public sector workers. But what we do not agree with is the monopoly that GEMS has as the only public sector scheme that exists for these public sector workers. And what we have seen is the ridiculous increases. For an example, public sector unions, they have not received a wage increase. That surpasses 5%, but they are dealing with a medical aid increase that is over 23% combined. It was 13% and now it’s 9%. And workers are saying they cannot afford.”

#COSATU affiliates, #DENOSA, #NEHAWU, #SADTU, #SAMATU, #SAEPU, #PAWUSA & #POPCRU acknowledges all workers who came out in their numbers to participate in the National Day of Action across all provinces against #GEMS‘s exorbitant increases on the member medical contribution @eNCA pic.twitter.com/1s71rN8srK

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) February 26, 2026

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