Job Creation workers angry as Ladysmith municipality cuts their salaries

Those who are employed by Alfred Duma Local Municipality as Job Creation workers are complaining about the situation they are faced with, as they claim that their employer did not inform them of the new salary cuts.

On June 8, the local municipality released a letter for Job Creation and EPWP employees, informing them about their new contracts.

However, what grabbed the workers’ attention most is when their employer wrote in the letter that their salaries will be cut. The letter stated that: “The new employment contract agreement will be entered into in respect of the following categories of Job Creation Employees at the new rate of R92.31 per day with effect from June 11 to July 10 for a period not exceeding one month.”

A Ladysmith Gazette reporter conducted  several interviews with Job Creation employees, who all said their employer had not informed them before taking such a major decision about their salaries.

A Job Creation employee who wishes to remain anonymous  had the following to say, “I have worked for Alfred Duma Local Municipality, under the Electricity Department, for more than five years and to date, I am still a Job Creation employee.

“When I started working for the municipality, I was getting paid R95 a day, but that changed when the government announced that workers shouldn’t be getting anything less than R3500 a month. Thus we also received salaries of R3500.” The municipal employee continued that, “On June 8, our employer sent out a letter stating that our salaries will be cut, as we are all aware that most of the  employees are sitting at home during the pandemic. Some of us were not at work, so we only got to hear about the new changes from our colleagues who took screen-shots of the letter. There was no formal zoom meeting to inform us, as employees, about the new changes, and we have every right to be informed prior to new changes.”

The uBumbano Lokuthula Organisation met up with the Job Creation workers and had a chance to hear their grievances. “We condemn such ill-treatment by their employer.” stated a letter from the organisation.

Also read: Residents urged to pay municipal bills electronically

The municipality has not commented on the matter as yet, despite numerous requests.

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