Muni employees back at work after peaceful strike

MOKOPANE – Employees of the Mogalakwena Municipality went back to work on Tuesday morning after the municipality had been brought to a complete standstill since last Wednesday while the employees peacefully raised their concerns to management.

According to a media statement on Tuesday morning by Malesela Selokela, municipal divisional head of communications: “The employees, who were represented by both the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union (Imatu), returned to work after an agreement was reached between them and the acting municipal manager, Peter Makondo, that their concerns will be brought to a special council meeting on Tuesday afternoon.”

A few of the concerns that were raised were:

The bench-marking of the salary scale in comparison to other municipalities, the travel, car allowance and the recruitment policies.

The statement further read:

“The municipal employees and the organised labour representatives were happy to report back to work and they are hopeful that the council will resolve their concerns raised positively.

They also applauded the management and leadership for their will to resolve their concerns swiftly.”

The Divisional Head of Communications, Malesela Selokela, said in a media statement on Wednesday afternoon: “During the special council meeting on Tuesday, the Mogalakwena Municipality council has resolved that the resolution of 27 August 2013, which referred the bench-marking process to a remuneration committee, are to be revoked and the process plan be approved.”

“The recruitment, travel and car allowance policies were deferred for further refinement and a workshop will be conducted at a later stage for councillors.”