The union says it is “hypocrisy” for councillors to award themselves salary increases while frontline workers face wage stagnation and dismissals.
The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has called out City of Tshwane councillors for voting to increase their salaries, while workers still suffer.
All members of council, except one, voted in favour of a motion to increase their salaries and benefits.
Samwu Tshwane regional secretary Donald Monakhisi said they were outraged by the city’s decision to grant councillors a 5% increase, backdated to 2024, while refusing workers’ demand of 3.5% and 5.4% wage increase.
“The resolution exposes the hypocrisy and blatant disregard for the sacrifices of front-line municipal employees who keep our communities running under difficult conditions.
“It’s unacceptable that elected representatives have chosen to prioritise their pockets as workers endure rising costs of living, unsafe working environments, and wage stagnation,” he said.
‘Victimisation of workers’
Monakhisi said it was equally disturbing that the continued victimisation of workers, evidenced by the dismissal of 43 who stood up for their rights, was a concern.
“Samwu demands the immediate reversal of the 5% councillors’ salary increase until wage disputes are resolved and the urgent reinstatement of all 43 dismissed workers,” he said.
Monakhisi said the city could not continue to enrich politicians while workers – the backbone of service delivery – were pushed further into poverty.
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Republican Conference of Tshwane councillor Lex Middelberg voted against the increase.
Middelberg described it as a travesty in bad taste.
“Calling an urgent meeting for the sole purpose of increasing councillors’ remuneration – and to backdate it to 1 July 2024 – a past financial year, is shamelessly grabby and in bad taste. Not only that, but this grabbing is also without justification – meritless.”
Middelberg said they were ranked by agencies like the Africa Report as jointly the worst-run metro in South Africa.
“This ranking is also confirmed by the auditor-general’s report on local government. In what world do you reward and incentivise failure?” he asked.
Ratepayers left carrying the burden
“Our payment rate of current billing for service charges and rates – what ordinary ratepayers must pay – stands at Covid levels of recovery. A mere 70% of current billing was paid last year. That figure is actually lower than 70% as payments of older debt are included in the cashflow reported. Let that sink in,” Middelberg said.
“We are effectively stealing from ratepayers by passing a budget promising service delivery that we expect to be paid for, but is never rendered.
“To this, I answer that it is long since ratepayers have had a fair shake from its council and that it is not acceptable to take from people who themselves cannot meet the demands of the rising cost of living to make our own lives more comfortable,” he said.
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