Workers from the Department of Public Safety at the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) are on a go slow in an ongoing pay dispute.
Workers staged protest action outside the WRDM offices on 28 June, vowing that there will be no emergency services on the West Rand until their problems are addressed to their satisfaction.
Their grievances emanate from allegedly unannounced deductions from their salaries for what the Department describes as miscalculations in weekend rates.
According to the workers, they only received about half their normal salaries for the month.
A reliable source who wishes to remain anonymous told the Herald that the matter is still unresolved and the department is mum about any efforts to remedy the situation.
“People are unhappy at the moment,” says the source. The Department needs to realise that these people offer essential services to the community. The fact that emergency services personnel are on a go slow can mean real trouble for the people of Randfontein.”
The Herald published a damning article on 19 July about a street vendor who almost gave birth in the street in Randfontein in full view of everyone because there was no ambulance to respond to the call for assistance.
South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) Regional Secretary Vuyisile Nqaba vowed that workers will continue their go slow action until management addresses their pleas in the form of a refund.
According to WRDM spokesperson Dennis Mangope, he neither can confirm nor deny the allegations that workers are on a go slow, “… but I can only say that it is possible that the workers could still be on a go slow.
“As far as I am concerned, the office of the Mayor has not received any word from the Department’s management with regard to the strike,” says Mangope.
