Erwat employees down tools, demanding a 14% increase
The employees demanded that their petition be addressed and fixed by the end of August
Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (Erwat) employees have downed tools and embarked on a fully blown protest over salary increases on Monday.
They demand a 14 per cent increase.
The employees demanded that their petition be addressed and fixed by the end of August. They threatened to stay away from work should they not receive any positive feedback from the employer.
“We are here for one issue and that is salaries. The issue that has brought us here is the reluctance of the employer to convene and consult with the labour force,” said Mpho Meso of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
“We just want what is due to us. All we want is a positive response so we can go to work. If there’s no positive feedback, we are not going back to work, period.”
The employees accused the company of downgrading salary scales of some employees without any consultation with the labour force.
Addressing the employees, Erwat managing director Tumelo Gopane said even though he couldn’t agree to impossible time frames, there was room for proper and reasonable engagements.
“I understand that you are not happy. What I am saying is that we are going to arrange a meeting with the consultant where we are going to involve the steering committee that has always been involved. As soon as we pen-out a slot, we will communicate the message to the relevant structures,” he committed.
With regards to unfilled vacancies within the water and waste water management company, Gopane said: “The issue of the vacant positions were as a result of the moratorium that was agreed upon. It was agreed that we would revisit after we have finished restructuring, but now that the structure has been completed, we will soon begin the processes of filling those vacant positions.”
Erwat is a waste water management company which provides bulk waste water conveyance and a highly technical and proficient waste water treatment service to over 2 000 industries and more than 3.5 million people who have access to sanitation services.
It is currently custodian of 19 waste water care works, treating a combined capacity of some 696 mega litres of waste water per day. The majority of the operations are in the City of Ekurhuleni.
