GEMS is currently the largest restricted medical scheme in South Africa. It serves nearly 2.45 million beneficiaries. Membership is strictly limited to public servants and their dependants. To encourage membership, government departments provide subsidies of up to two-thirds of the monthly cost. However, this benefit is only available to those who remain with GEMS. The current conflict stems from GEMS’…
Tag: PSA
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Gems Premium Hike: Unions Demand Single Digits
South Africa’s largest medical scheme for public servants, Gems, is facing mounting pressure from unions. They want to limit its 2026 premium increase to single digits. This follows a controversial 13.4% hike this year. Following several years of modest increases, the double-digit rise for 2025 drew strong opposition from public sector unions. These include the Public Servants Association (PSA) and…
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Union Vows Protests as 150 KZN Doctors Remain Jobless
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has pledged to intensify protest action. This will continue until the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health absorbs every qualified but unemployed doctor into the provincial system. This highlights a growing crisis that leaves critical posts vacant while medical professionals are without work. The influential union is backing more than 150 doctors. These doctors, after completing their…