Samwu to oppose Tshwane’s court bid over pay

The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is set to oppose the City of Tshwane in the Labour Court next month about the 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases, when the court considers the workers’ review applications.

Last year, a four-month strike by workers affiliated with Samwu brought service delivery to a standstill over wage increases.

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Tshwane may change its stance

Economist Dawie Roodt said the new administration may be pressured to give in to the workers’ demands, which meant Tshwane’s finances would become a bigger mess.

“The City of Tshwane is bankrupted because of the ANC administration. When the DA took over, it realised the salaries had to be adjusted.

“When it adjusted the increases because it couldn’t afford them, it went to court and they kept on playing for a postponement.

“That was the strategy, to drag the case out for as long as possible. The longer it took to get a court interdict, the more the city scored,” he said.

Roodt said now that ActionSA and the ANC had taken over the administration of the city, it would be interesting to see if the new coalition would oppose the court ruling, or play along.

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Samwu urges new Tshwane leadership to withdraw applications

Samwu general secretary Dumisane Magagula said they welcomed the decision by Acting Judge Edwin Molahlehi of the Labour Court, who ruled that the City of Tshwane’s two review applications would be heard together on 28 November.

Magagula urged the new leadership in Tshwane to withdraw the applications and engage in meaningful dialogue.

“It is time to implement the 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases. Municipal workers, who have diligently served their communities, should not continue to suffer due to past political decisions.

“Essentially, municipal workers were denied salary increases because the DA-led coalition wanted to control the city’s finances to the party’s interest, as if it were a monarchy,” he said.

“Municipal workers were due a 3.5% salary increase in 2021 and a 5.4% increase in 2023. Instead of implementing these increases, the City of Tshwane applied for exemptions.

“When these exemptions were dismissed by the SA Local Government bargaining council, the city sought to review the decisions, further delaying workers’ increases,” he said.

“These workers are not just numbers, they are individuals with families, facing daily hardships.”

Magagula said the cost of living had risen sharply and many of their members were struggling.

“If the new leadership truly cares about its employees’ welfare, it will prioritise their needs over political agendas.”

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