Disgruntled former workers of the municipality speak out
Former community health workers claimed to have been manipulated out of their jobs in 2019.
A group of disgruntled former workers of the Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) accused the municipality of unfair dismissal after their contracts were terminated.
Percy Distebe, Patricia Zanele and Florence Hogins are among 10 complainants who used to be community health workers and claimed to have been manipulated out of their jobs in 2019.
“We’ve been working for the municipality since 2013 to give people health education,” Ditsebe said.
He added, however, the problem was that the municipality permanently hired (absorbed) two other groups without considering them.
We thought that we would also get hired permanently but unfortunately that was not the case. They just threw us out like trash in the dustbin; we have families to feed and debt to pay. This is really unfair,” Ditsebe complained.
Phillip Montshiwa spokesperson of the RWCLM confirmed that some people were hired permanently by the municipality, but said this was before the merger of two municipalities in 2016.
“Now, if there are jobs, we advertise them so that people can apply to fill those vacancies,” Phillip said.
“What is likely to be the case here is that these people worked for the municipality for a long time and were under the impression that they would be hired permanently. “The issue is that RWCLM did not absorb its temporary staff members,” Montshiwa said.
