City Power has a long history of less than honest dealings with the public.
With the recent power outages in 25 suburbs, including around Roodepoort, City Power blamed its striking employees. According to statements made to the public, striking workers allegedly sabotaged substations and City Power went as far as having the stations guarded.
The Record spoke to a reliable source who painted a different picture.
The source, who is a member of the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu), strongly denied the sabotage allegations.
The source furthermore tried to put into perspective why the workers are unhappy with the new shift system. According to the employees’ employment contracts there has been one eight-hour shift (from 7am until 4pm) and everything over and above that were regarded as overtime. This has been the arrangement for the past ten years. Now there will be three eight-hour shifts with no more overtime.
The source told the Record that the workers are not so much unhappy with loosing out on the overtime payment, but that City Power never has investigated the economic and social implications. Apparently this new system will negatively affect the workers’ family time. The source furthermore said that City Power promised striking employees that they will not be charged (the strike was illegal) if they return to work, and then went on and still charged workers when they returned in good faith. It is alleged that City Power lied when it claimed that the union members had signed an agreement to allow for a change in their contracts.
The source explained that the union members currently only work the normal day shift as per their original contracts and that this is the reason why the public experience so many problems; after 4pm there are no one on standby or working overtime.
City Power has taken these new measures in order to appease the Auditor General and Mayor who were unhappy with the City’s R213-million-per-year overtime bill.
The Record is awaiting comment from City Power.
