Service delivery has come to a standstill at Imbabazane Municipality. The gates at the municipality are shut and refuse is being burnt at the entrance as staff members launched strike action as a result of a salary dispute.

Members of the Independent Municipal And Allied Trade Union (Imatu) decided to embark on the strike after they say a commitment made by Imbabazane Municipality has ‘not been respected.’

Imatu Shop Steward Simphiwe Sikhakhane explains:

“The management and political principals had an extended Local Labour Forum/Exco meeting on April 14, 2015 where it was agreed that a salaries adjustment, which were effected July 2014 will be withheld from April 2015 to June 2015 because they were unbudgeted for. It was agreed that will be budgeted for in July 2015 and shall be back-paid as from April 2015 onwards.

“All affected employees were given commitment letters signed by the Acting Municipal Manager, which stated that they will be back paid.”

When this was not fulfilled Imatu decided to launch a dispute with the South African Local Government Bargaining Council.

Currently the matter has been through the conciliation process and remains unresolved, this prompted the protest action and a notice of intention to strike was served to Imbabazane Municipality management.

Mr Sikhakhane says that the strike action has forced service delivery to a grinding halt.

“Our members are committed to provide efficient service delivery, however the commitment of our members on the ground is not matched by decisive leadership as well as political leadership to resolve this issue,” he added.

Imbabazane’s Acting Municipal Manager Sibusiso Radebe explained that placement of staff policy previously indicated that there were no promotion or demotion neither salary increments allowed.

He added that once staff had been placed, four staff members qualified for promotions and an increase, this went against the policy regulations.

“Once the union heard about it, they started negotiating with the former Municipal Manager, who has since been dismissed and a decision was taken to increase their salaries. A salary parity comparison was done and it was decided that everyone would get a R2 000 increase,” explained Mr Radebe.

When the municipality realised that this rule went against their previous policy, they stopped the increments pending an adjustment made to the budget.

Legal opinion was sought from private lawyers as well as the South African Local Government Association (Salga), which ruled that the increases were “unlawful”.

“Council then rescinded the previous decision to allow the increase. We have also requested another legal opinion.The municipality is also in the process of making an application to the Labour Court and this is known to be a long process,” commented Mr Radebe.

He said that currently four employees manned the municipal offices.

“Effectively we are closed because four people can’t help everyone. Although there is a strike at the gate, people are allowed to access the municipality,” concluded Mr Radebe.