Municipal staff strike for salaries

Councillors and office staff were ‘trapped ‘ inside the Civic Centre on Tuesday morning.

The Scott Street entrances to the municipal complex were closed after municipal workers who were members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), downed tools during wage disputes.

By mid-morning, SAPS teams had been employed there as a precaution.

The strike continued peacefully while workers were singing struggle songs and opportunistic hawkers peddled packets of chips and sweets inside the complex boundaries.

Nevertheless, Newcastle Municipality responded with urgency.

The Executive Committee met shortly after the strike began, while another urgent meeting was held between municipal bigwigs and SAMWU members a few steps away.

SAMWU leaders believed this had put pressure on council to react.

“We will remain here until the meeting is over and the outcome is known. We have to demand what is ours.”

Union members said their unrest was a result of workers being paid on a Grade 4 salary scale, and demanded this be increased to the level of Grade 6.

“We are not fighting but we need commitment after our employers undermined existing structures.”

The background of the strike was also touched upon in the Exco meeting on Tuesday; the unrest is said to have stemmed from so-called misinformation regarding salary scales for upper and lower level staff.

What is required is a benchmarking of the municipality in terms of wage structures.

This might only be adjusted in three months’ time, a far cry from SAMWU’s demands that the municipality resolve the problem and “give workers their due”.

Further comment on the matter is being awaited.