Chinese maths

[Dave A]

Does anyone remember at school when the maths teacher would prove that 2=1 or 1=0. Start with a number, add some, divide some, minus some... and hey presto.

It was called chinese maths, and I'm rather reminded of it in this story...

The wage offer by the government to public-service unions does amount to 12%, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said on Thursday.

"Unpacking the government's offer" for the media in Pretoria, Fraser-Moleketi said that while the government is offering a 6% wage increase, the total offer amounts to much more.

"The overall package amounts to much more than 6% and hence employees going out on strike over 6% go out with insufficient information," she said.

The total expenditure, which includes the wage increase, implementation of outstanding offers, sectoral agreements and increase in staff, is set to grow by 12%.

But then where does this line fit in

Fraser-Moleketi said the government's offer will cost the state R9,3-billion more while the unions' demands will amount to R198-billion more.

The unions' demands would include R15-billion on salaries alone,

And then, to complete the picture

"R200-billion additional expenditure on compensation for employees will equal R393-billion, which would increase government expenditure to R744-billion -- which accounts for 52,9% of non-interest expenditure and 20,3% of GDP," Fraser-Moleketi said.
All extracts from the M&G story here

Anyone else confused?

[Debbiedle]

LOL I am so glad you posted this.

I started reading the original report and about a quarter way through it thought "Hey, I really must start having my vitamins earlier so that my brain is more alert, I really don't understand what they are saying here!!!"

[stephanfx]

Dumb-founded to say the least.

Is the problem not that the unions 12% increase is also 12% on all extras like medical, pension etc, hence the 200 billion?

I do not know...

[RKS Computer Solutions]

Goverment, go figure... (Or is it that we should have known?)...

[Dave A]

The day before I saw a headline quoting Fraser-Moleketi saying "Labour doesn't understand government's offer."

I nearly posted something at the time saying "That will be the day." If there's one thing I'm pretty sure of, it's that top union negotiators really do understand the most nuanced of wage agreements.

And it takes no rocket scientist to figure out that Gov's proposed total cost increase of R9.3 million falls a tad short of even the basic R15.3 million component of labour's 12% demand. From what I can make of it, that R9.3 million includes staff number increases too.

How she escalates the impact of that R15 million to R198, R393 & then R744 billion is sheer genius that would have any aficionado of chinese maths in absolute raptures.

[Quincy8f]

I never hear maths like it in China

[Debbiedle]

BY the way....if you are in China is it still Chinese Maths? or.....if you are in Portugal is it still Portugese Bread?

[Dave A]

Welcome Quincy.

I never hear maths like it in China

I think this particular variant was particularly South African. It wouldn't surprise me if even the Chinese had trouble following it.