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A town in doldrums – greedy municipal employees have no shame

Yesterday’s Local Labour Forum meeting between union shop stewards and municipal management collapsed, and municipal employees are to blame.

Instead of allowing their shop stewards to negotiate with management on their behalf, as agreed by employees, a few troublemakers demanded entry to the meeting, resulting in the meeting being called off.

As a result, the strike is set to continue, though another meeting has been called for this morning at 09:00.

Employees are demanding that disciplinary charges be withdrawn against 12 colleagues who’ve been suspended for their alleged roles in the ongoing labour unrest.

They further demand that armed security be removed from all worksites, including the civic centre, alongside Level 5 salaries, which should be negotiated at the central bargaining council.

Letters ordering employees back to work, or face disciplinary repercussions, will also be served on employees for a second time this week.
The ‘no-work, no-pay’ policy has also been implemented by management.

Up to now, employees who’ve embarked on a number of illegal strikes since September have received full pay.

Managers are supposed to implement a three-hourly roll call, but with the municipality on lockdown by unruly employees, it’s impossible to say who is working and who isn’t.

Residents have lost all faith in both the administration and council to abide by labour laws, with employees running the show.

With an already impossible backlog of services to surmount, residents are fearing a total municipal collapse.

Residents are also calling out municipal employees on the pattern of strikes, which seemingly always occur after every payday.

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Gerhard Rheeder

I have been a journalist for two decades, with numerous awards to my credit, both in photography and writing. A brief stint as researcher in the opposition offices of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, honed my skills as specialist local government reporter, covering crime and courts.
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