Municipal workers say enough is enough!

This morning, 24 March 2022, a large number of J.B  Marks municipal workers, SAMWU (The South African Municipal Workers Union) and IMATU (The Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union) trade unions gathered at the Memorial Park in Ikageng at 10 AM and marched to the Dan Tloome offices to submit a memorandum of complaints to the office of the MEC of COGTA (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) however, they were denied entry by MEG security. 

The memorandum is related to political interference, lack of tools of the trade for employees among other pressing issues. The protestors were accompanied by members of SAPS as well as traffic officials but there was no representation of the local government.

According to a statement released by the Acting Municipal Manager, BMB Mosepele, the municipality was unaware of the intended strike and therefore all workers that are expected to report for duty are supposed to do so as normal. “Failure to do so will be regarded as a misconduct,”  the statement read.

“How is this march illegal if we are being escorted by officials,” said Kamogelo Seroalo, one of the protestors said.

“We are here to fight for what belongs to us,” she added. 

Employees expressed the lack of work resources, lack of workflow as well as lack of staff. They demand they be given an increase for working under dangerous conditions. They are also calling for the municipality to employ more people for the work to flow and be lessened. “Let them hire more EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) members as they serve us a better purpose,” Seroalo added.

One of the protestors, Tebogo “Sbu” Matlong, whose job is mainly to dig graves says they work under strenuous and dangerous conditions but they aren’t remunerated fairly. “In most cases when we dig up graves we are confronted with contaminated water but we aren’t provided with any gear to go underground,” he explained. 

“We are then expected to report for duty as normal, not knowing where our health stands,” he added.

SAMWU and IMATU have given the MEC seven days to respond to their complaints before further action is taken. 

No relevant member of the municipality, nor a representative from the office of the MEC of COGTA responded to the leadership of the march. More details are to follow.