POLOKWANE – Employees of the Polokwane Municipality waste management downed tools on Thursday, 11 January, saying they are fed-up with the municipality’s poor treatment and they want the office of the municipal manager to take them seriously.
The employees met with the municipal manager, demanding him to address them about their future and their guarantee within the municipality.
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They demanded the municipality to not remove them from their positions when the five-year contract came to an end.
According to the employees the contract is expiring at the end of next month and the municipality council had already agreed to hire a new private sector company with its own drivers and operators without consulting them.
The employees told BONUS they have been working under dictation leadership and said they have been used as slaves, one of the employees, who wished to remain anonymous, adding they are in fear of losing their jobs.
He said they want the municipality to get new trucks which will be driven and operated by the current drivers and operators.
“To us outsourcing means there will be no more job creation and employees will work like slaves,” he said. “As workers we need promotions and now that everything will be outsourced we feel like we will never be promoted.”
Another employee, who also wished to remain anonymous, said since the outsourced company will have its own workers, the condition of service will change. “We have been serving with the municipality for several years and we urge the municipal manager’s office to respect us like every employee within the municipality,” he said.
The Polokwane Municipal Manager, Dikgape Makobe, said the municipality has spent a lot of money on the current company and that outsourcing a new company with its own drivers and operators was the only viable solution for the municipality to better manage its budget.
“The council has accepted that the municipality should look for a private sector contractor for a period of 10 years because it was the only cheaper option,” Makobe said.
