Pay parking marshals are still on strike following a wage dispute with their employer Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprise and are now threatening to take the company to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Over 50 marshals had been employed by KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) service provider Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprise to monitor the pay parking system which was implemented by KDM in Stanger CBD, Umhlali and Ballito last November.
The system introduced a charge of R6 an hour for parking in public bays.
At the launch of the project, KDM mayor Ricardo Mthembu said one of the key purposes of the scheme was to cre – ate jobs and pay people a minimum salary of R3000.
However, hardly two months into the scheme, the marshal’s salaries have decreased to R1000 with 30 percent commission.
Also read: Pay parking wage dispute
In light of this, last Monday about 16 marshals protested outside the KwaDukuza Municipality calling for mayor Ricardo Mthembu to intervene and negotiate with their employer.
A meeting between the marshals, KDM officials and Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprise management was held to iron out their issues.
However, one of the marshals, who could not be named out of fear of victimisation, said their issues had still not been resolved and the situation had worsened.
“We were told at the meeting that the company will work on our problems which were uniforms and salaries. They said they would rethink the salary and not hire new staff. But when we got back to our office, management started shouting and swearing at us.
“We heard that they are now looking to employ new marshals. We feel like the only way forward is to take our case to the CCMA,” she said.
The woman said the marshals were only operating in Stanger since early January.
She said they were told that the system would not be in Ballito but that they were not told why. Vusa Isipho Trading Enterprise manager Chris Rogers said salaries had to be reviewed with the scope of work.
“During November KDM reduced the scope of work which has caused the review of the staff required and the salaries of personnel. T-shirts, caps, umbrellas, money bags, reflector jackets and raincoats have been provided to the staff and uniforms are on order from the manufacturer. No marshal has brought any issues to the management of being treated unfairly,” he said.
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