Protesting Rand West City staff to return to work
SA Municipal Workers’ Union spokesperson Papikie Mohale said workers were being intimidated to stop their demand for all salaries to be adjusted.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union has reiterated that workers should be paid their salary increases. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
About 700 Rand West City municipality workers vowed to report for duty today after apparent threats of dismissal following an alleged illegal strike last week.
According to SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) spokesperson Papikie Mohale, the bone of contention was a recent upward adjustment of salaries according to a new salary scale, which only benefitted top management.
Mohale said workers felt that all salaries were meant to be adjusted in accordance with this scale. He denied the union was behind last week’s shutdown.
He claimed workers were barred from entering the premises so it could not be blamed on them.
Mohale said the threats of dismissal had no legal basis as nobody went on strike.
“There was simply protest action and the municipal manager refused to respond to the legitimate issue we put on the table. We will report to work because there has not been any letter of dismissal issued to anyone, and we will continue putting the issue on the table.”
Mohale said union leaders met with workers and the municipal management team yesterday. He said workers were being intimidated to stop their demand for all salaries to be adjusted.
MEC for human settlements and corporate governance Lebogang Maile said he would seek answers from four Gauteng municipalities embroiled in spats, including Rand West City.
Merafong City local municipality, which is in financial distress after being implicated in the VBS Bank scandal, was also affected by industrial action last week.
“Maile requested Merafong Local Municipality to submit within seven days a detailed explanation of the circumstances that led to the suspension of the municipal manager and the shutdown of services on September 27 as a result of industrial action.”
According to Mohale, the municipality barred workers from the building and it was not a strike.
Maile also wrote to the City of Tshwane and the City of Joburg seeking clarity on corruption allegations.
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