NEHAWU rejects the increment of 9.8% by GEMS on Member Contribution 2026
Wednesday November 19, 2025
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] vehemently rejects the increment of 9.8% on members contribution by the Government Employees Medical Scheme [GEMS] for next year 2026.
As NEHAWU, we find it totally absurd that GEMS continues to increase the contributions of our members and workers with exorbitant percentages like they have done in 2023, 2024, 2025 and now in 2026. GEMS is supposed to be an affordable medical scheme for public servants but over the years it has become expensive and not providing what it was meant for.
The decision of the Scheme ignores the fact that in the last two years, they have increased members contribution by over 25%, ignoring the financial challenges faced by our members and workers in the public service. Our members and workers have been on the receiving end of the crisis of cost of living and are suffocating as a result.
This year 2025, GEMS Board imposed a 13.4 % increase in contributions arguing that the scheme was in financial danger and that the Council for Medical Scheme was going to act against them if increments of the contributions was not implemented. The same argument is once again used by the board to justify its decision, yet the Executives and the Board are paid exorbitantly at the detrimental of workers.
What is surprising is that according to their 2024 financial statements they spent almost 2 billion rand on administration costs that are outsourced yet workers are forced to pay these exorbitant increases.
As NEHAWU, we reiterate our perspective that GEMS has over the years become a financial burden on public servants with the yearly increments. It has totally moved away from what it was essentially created for, which was to ensure that it provides affordable medical cover for public servants as per PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2006, which in its principles states that the scheme is “to ensure greater accessibility by providing affordable medical cover to all employees” and this has been the understanding and general objective of the establishment of the scheme from inception.
As NEHAWU, we once again call on GEMS, DPSA and National Treasury to halt the implementation of the decision to increase member contribution and rather focus on ensuring that the scheme remains capable of serving the needs of workers and does not become an instrument of accumulation by capital and those who administers it. GEMS must insource many services that they have outsourced including capping the board fees they are paying to their board members.
Lastly, as NEHAWU, we are resolute that this decision to increase members’ contribution will not go unchallenged.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za
Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za
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