Umjindi workers accuse council of failing them

Service delivery by Umjindi Municipality was halted for a few hours on Monday morning as council workers staged a sit-in to demand their labour-forum recognition. The workers gathered at the town council offices.

According to Vusi Mahlalela, South African Municipal Workers’ Union chairman in Umjindi, the council was failing the workers by not holding labour-forum sittings. He said the council labour forum’s last sitting was last year.

“Last year we only had one labour-forum sitting for the whole year. Accordingly, it must at least have one sitting a month. The management is having meetings to discuss their issues on a weekly basis while our concerns as workers are not being addressed,” said Mahlalela.

He said the labour forum is to promote the interest of all workers, not only trade-union members.
Mahlalela said currently they were facing the dilemma of the amalgamation of Umjindi with Mbombela.
“All we hear is on media that there is a possibility of merging Umjindi with Mbombela in June. As workers, we have not been consulted. The next thing we will be told is that the two municipalities will be merged and we have been consulted as workers whereas it will be untrue,” said Mahlalela.

He said on the issue of merging the two municipalities, a lot needed to be clarified to the workers.
“These will include job evaluations for the workers, job grading and criteria for merits and bonuses,” he said.

Mahlalela said they demand that the labour forum should sit every month. Derrick Ndlovu, Umjindi director of corporate services, addressed the workers and promised to respond to their demands today (April 15).
Meanwhile, Mahlalela said they are planning to have a sitting today and they request all councillors to attend it.