Municipal workers won’t take part in ‘salary cut challenge’
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that he and his executive would also be donating a third of their salaries to the Solidarity Fund, the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) says its members simply cannot afford to take home less money amid the extended nationwide lockdown.
The union was reacting to the decision by Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina that he and his executive would be taking a 33% pay cut for the next three months.
Samwu’s deputy secretary-general Dumisani Magagula says they have not discussed a proposal to cut workers’ salaries by 5%.
“The mayor said that there are discussions that workers would have their salaries cut by 5% for the coming three months. We place it on record that our members and municipal workers in general would not be participating in this salary cut challenge.
“We further place it on record that there are no discussions between unions and the city on workers participating in this challenge. If anything, the statement by themayor seeks not only to demoralise the municipal workers, but also to drive a wedge between the union and its members.”
The union has also warned municipalities not to touch workers’ salaries.
“We therefore expect municipalities to pay workers their salaries in full, including their benefits in line with their conditions of service,” says Magagula.
