Security, employer and SAMWU come to agreement: 225 jobs saved
SAMWU regional secretary Kgosi Breedt said when RWCLM planned to downsize as a means to cut costs, many livelihoods were at stake.
Management of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the West Rand Region intervened and managed to save 225 jobs of security personnel stationed at Rand West City Local Municipality’s (RWCLM) premises.
SAMWU regional secretary Kgosi Breedt said when RWCLM planned to downsize as a means to cut costs, many livelihoods were at stake.
“In August, we heard the devastating news that security workers on the premises had received letters from their employer – a security company contracted to the municipality – that they would be laid off at the end of the same month,” Breedt said.
He explained that as the union, they engaged with management of both RWCLM and the security company, and managed to find a solution.
Breedt said after they had the discussion with the municipality as to where the security guards would be deployed to or what other plans they had for them to stay employed, no alternatives were provided.
“We then said, if this is the case, we are going to remove our members everywhere.”
Breedt added not only was the retrenchment unfair, but with the high unemployment rate the lives of another 225 people would be destroyed.
“After a lengthy engagement, we are glad that they’ve been reinstated and are now back at work,” Breedt added.
RWCLM spokesperson Phillip Monsthiwa said the municipality is a client and not a direct employer of the security personnel, and added they had planned to scale down on payment due to their financial constraints.
“Certain municipal buildings were without security and break-ins occurred. This affected the security company and thus the retrenchment. But we instructed the company to reinstate the retrenched personnel and went back to the original status quo – that of sticking to the original payment,” Montshiwa said.
