A march will make its way to the civic centre from Mhluzi’s Eric Jiyane Hall, while the council is preparing for a special council sitting at 11:00.

The item concerning a massive pay hike for employees, with a 36-month backpay demand, is on the agenda and will be debated by councillors.

Municipal employees are demanding a municipal upgrade from Level 4 to Level 5 status. They initially demanded a Level 6 hike but abandoned the destructive trajectory to settle for Level 5 pay hikes.

Striking employees also indicated that they are willing to part with 12 months’ backpay, instead, settling for 24 months.

The municipality would need at least an additional R100 million on the current budget to bolster the administrative budget to accommodate employees’ demands.

Municipal employees have been striking for over six weeks. In a statement issued during the weekend, striking employees said they would respect the law and desist from damaging infrastructure. Intimidation of contractors, however, persists.

The Municipal Manager, Advocate Bheki Khenisa, is not budging on demands, saying clarity around the employees’ calculations remain vague.

“For prudent financial management, there needs to be a consensus on how the employees crunched their numbers, and agreement on a way forward,” he previously told www.mobserver.co.za.

Businesses and residents say they cannot fork out any more for services, in order to comply with employees’ pay demands.

The municipal sector was one of the very few business sectors that emerged from the Covid-19 gambit unscathed; with employees receiving full salaries and benefits.

The upgrade will also result in councillors receiving as much as R70 000 in backpay.

The DA has already said it would record its vote against the upgrade from Level 4 to 5.

Municipal employees, however, warn that if their demands aren’t met, the strike will continue.