The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and Msukaligwa Municipality are at loggerheads over the work conditions and municipal grading that were the bone of contention and resulted in strike action early in the year.
After a week of picketing outside municipal offices in Ermelo, employees of the municipality and Samwu embarked on a strike in late March.
They claimed they could no longer put their lives in danger by driving municipal vehicles that are not roadworthy and climbing electrical poles with high voltages without proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
At the heart of the matter, besides the PPE, was the long-standing issue of the municipal task grade, which determines on which level a municipality is graded, as the level of grading has direct financial implications for everyone.
After a meeting between the two parties, employees returned to work with the agreement being that the demands would be met and progress would be reviewed in May.
The Highvelder asked Samwu leadership if the demands had been fulfilled.
They were adamant that even though some problems had been fixed, others were still outstanding.
One union leader said the PPE has yet to be distributed.
However, municipal spokesman Mandla Zwane refutes this, saying, “The insinuation that the municipality has not done anything about the union demand is incorrect. The acquisition of PPE commenced immediately after the demand of the union where cumbersome and meticulous processes were followed in line with the provisions of the MFMA (Municipal Finance Management Act) and the supplier was subsequently appointed for the period of 36 months. Last month (May 2017) the PPE was supplied and delivered to the supervisors so most employees received their PPE.”
He added that management was concerned with the non-wearing of the very same PPE (overalls) by some employees and PPE worn by community members who are not municipal employees, as this defeats the purpose of PPE.
When asked about the other demands, Mr Zwane said, “The municipality is continuing implementing the decisions taken at the Local Labour Forum (LLF) level without any compromise considering the significance of the issues raised from time to time at the LLF meetings. Furthermore the work plan was developed to ensure that these issues are processed through speedily with time lines attached.”
He concluded by saying the municipality had done everything in its power to address the concerns of workers and ensure a safe working environment in the municipality.
Samwu leadership responded to Mr Zwane’s statements, saying PPE was partially distributed with some employees working without.
They added that the municipal grading did not reflect on their pay slips and working conditions had not improved.
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