Employees at the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) are expected to embark on lunchtime pickets from Friday over its failure to review its organisational structure since 2013 and have not ruled out full strike action.

Public Servants Association (PSA) general manager Reuben Maleka notified acting DMV director-general Nontobeko Mafu last month of its intention to embark on industrial action as of September 12, 2025.

In the notice issued in terms of the DMV/PSA picketing rules as well as the Labour Relations Act (LRA), the PSA referred to the certificate issued by the General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council (GPSSBC), which confirmed the dispute between the PSA and DMV is still unresolved.

“As you are aware that the PSA and DMV remain in dispute on the demand concerning a matter of mutual interest relating to organisational structure review.

“As a result of all failed attempts to resolve the dispute amicably, the PSA has authorised a picket by its members and supporters in terms section 69(1) of the LRA,” Maleka explained.

According to the union, the pickets will be held at DMV head office in Hatfield, Tshwane as identified in the signed picketing rules.

The PSA members and supporters will picket on every working day from 12 September 2025 during lunchtime indefinitely, until the employer tables a reviewed organisational structure in the GPSSBC chamber, failing which a full shutdown will be implemented.

In addition, the union requested DMV management to respect the rights of the picketers and fully comply with the picketing rules.

The PSA has stated that after every 5 years, with changes effected in government departments, the organisational structure gets reviewed but the DMV structure was last reviewed in 2013.

“The employer has been engaged all these years to ensure that the structure is reviewed in vain, interventions made from GPSSBC have also failed hence the PSA finds itself on the streets Friday,” according to the union.

“The department has since 2013 been advertising and filling posts, some of which are out of the existing outdated structure, and there are a lot of contract workers who have had their terms renewed annually and have no job security,” the PSA added.

DMV acting head of communications Mxolisi Mkhonza said the department was aware of the envisaged industrial action and tried to engage with the union on several occasions to address the issues raised.

“However the PSA has resorted to embarking on a picket which will take place for only one hour as per the picketing rules.In terms of section 69 of the LRA, picketing may not disrupt normal work proceedings nor impede on any other employee’s constitutional rights.

Hence the picketing will only take place during lunch. Thereafter, employee’s must return to work as normal,” said Mkhonza.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za

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