Samwu deputy general secretary, Koena Ramotlou, said they were pleased that their members were ultimately going to get their increase after management made a commitment that workers will receive their money by 9 October.
Ramatlou said, “We will be monitoring the situation to ensure that management is held accountable and does deliver on their commitment, otherwise we will be back at JRA‘s offices on that day.”
He also stated that it can’t be that workers have to first fight before the implementation of such agreements. “The fact that management made a commitment to pay workers by this Friday is an indication that the money has always been there, accumulating interest for the employer. Moving forward, we will be demanding that all backpay should be accompanied with interest. We believe that this will stop municipalities from deliberately withholding workers’ hard-earned money,” Ramatlou emphasised.
He also urged all municipalities who have not yet honoured the agreement to immediately do so, otherwise workers will personally go and collect their money, with interest.
Ramatlou said, “It seems as though this is the only way that our members will receive their increases, by physically going to collect it. As such, municipalities should prepare their chequebooks because we are coming.”
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