Disgruntled eThekwini employees met with more disappointment

Disgruntled eThekwini Municipality employees say they will continue to voice their grievances with their employer until they get the monies due to them.

Yesterday (October 16) scores of municipal workers from the eThekwini Municipality’s various departments marched under the scorching sun along Dr Pixley KaSeme Street in the CBD, heading for the Durban City Hall to submit a memorandum of demands to the city manager Musa Mbhele.

Also read: Plumbers set to return as eThekwini dispute ends

The issues listed in the memorandum touched on matters such as Salary Benchmarking/Category 10 implementation, back-pay, bonuses, union stop-orders and the shift system for employees.

According to the secretary for the employees who are without unions, Mhlephethwe Gwala, they were demanding Category 10 salaries, which he says were promised to them by the Municipality.

“We demand the immediate implementation of the applicable salary benchmarking settlement agreement and revised wage curve, subject to the final approved agreement and applicable municipal processes.

“We demand that the Municipality provide a written explanation of the revised implementation date following the four-month extension announced in July 2026.”

He said that they demanded for the Municipality to calculate and pay the applicable salary difference as arrears.

“The municipality must provide a clear timeframe for payment of any arrears found to be due.”

Tackling the matter of union deductions and stop-orders, Gwala said that the employees were not happy with the unions, and that they had different views regarding union representation and deductions.

He said that they request for the Municipality to explain the distinction between union membership deductions and any applicable agency-shop arrangements, including the legal basis for each deduction.

Gwala said that they demanded transparency from the City regarding performance bonuses for the 2024/2025 financial year.

“The municipality must provide affected employees with the applicable performance bonus policy, the eligibility requirements, employees’ recorded performance outcome, the amount calculated as payable and the expected payment date.”

Gwala said they had noted that in most departments, some colleagues were being paused without any daily job activities given, due to unnecessary job outsourcing. This, according to him, led to their colleagues being overloaded with multiple tasks, as some of the outsourced work ends up being completed by the in-house teams after being abandoned by the contractors.

According to a disgruntled employee, Sibusiso Sithole, who has been working for the City for eight years, they were meant to be getting paid within Category 10 by now.

He said that being “underpaid” resulted in a major distinction in the salary brackets between themselves and those in senior municipal positions and that earning within category 10 was pivotal for him.

“There is no honesty in this country. The issue of inequality is problematic because one who is well off thinks this plight does not affect them but forgets that it will affect the next generation to come. The moment the City allows this to happen, then that perpetuates corruption, and people’s monies are being spent in the wrong way.”

Another employee, Thanduxolo Mghobozi, said that they were faced with financial turmoil.

“We are in a lot of trouble financially. The salaries that we earn here leave us in great debts as it is sufficient.

“You get paid today then go to take loans again in about three days after earnings. It is very difficult. We are working because we do not have a choice. The family and children need to eat. How will you feed them without money? Then you find yourself going back to a loan shark for a cash injection. You just end up drowning in debts.”

The employees were met with disappointment as no representative from the City acknowledged or received their memorandum. Gwala said they would be implementing stage two of their plan in order to get the City’s attention.

eThekwini Municipality’s Spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila told Berea Mail that the eThekwini Municipality does not engage labour relations matters through the media.

“Such matters are governed by applicable labour legislation, including the Labour Relations Act and collective agreements concluded through the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC). As such, these matters are addressed through the appropriate statutory platforms rather than through the media,” he said.

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