Disgruntled municipal workers take to the streets

Central to their enmity is what they say is the municipality’s failure to honour the 2021 salary and collective wage agreement.

Hundreds of municipal employees downed tools to join the march to protest the municipality’s application at the labour court in what workers say is an attempt to avoid paying employees the increases as stipulated in the 2021 salary agreement.

The group marched down Allen Street carrying placards with slogans some of which called for the resignation of acting municipal manager, Zamani Mcineka, and demanding to know who funded the controversial Drakensberg council meeting. The march ended outside the municipal offices where the group handed over the memorandum to representatives from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC and Dr. Dumisani Thabede, who was standing in for the Mayor.

In the memorandum, the union calls for the implementation of the agreed-upon salary increase, the end of outsourcing of services, particularly in the technical and electrical services department, the end of political interference in the municipality and nepotism in hiring processes, the procurement of outside security services, and a lack of communication between the union and council.

Handing over the memorandum, Mfusi (Chairperson of the local SAMWU branch) pleaded with the municipality to take the plight of the workers seriously.

“Our workers are demoralized… they have had to be at the mercy of loan sharks. What the employer is doing hurts us incredibly,” he began.

Mfusi detailed the issues that cause the workers to be disgruntled including what they described as wasteful expenditure which the union maintains could have been used to pay the workers.

“Contractors are being employed within the electrical department which results in a doubling of staff and wastes taxpayers’ money. The hiring of security guards (rather than utilising the permanent staff at their disposal) and money wasted creating director posts to score political points is all money that could be used to fulfil the increments and provide better service delivery to the town,” stated Mfusi.

Mfusi urged the municipality to stop political interference which he says hampers the work of the municipality. Mfusi, taking pointed jabs at the municipality, continued by referring to the political games being played in Newcastle, which he claims are financed by the municipality.

“There are councillors who resigned, forcing by-elections in several wards, only to end up employed by the municipality. Not only is the municipality used for politics but is also guilty of wasteful expenditure,” said Mfusi.

The Newcastle municipality has again approached the labour court in a third attempt to dismiss the collective agreement.

COSATU is standing by SAMWU and has vowed to meet the municipality in court should the protest not prompt action.

“We have tried engaging this council countless times to no avail, claimed Jabulisile Mokoena, COSATU Regional Chairperson.

“We have given them seven days to see if any progress is made. We will take that as a sign that we can continue our engagements with them (municipality), she continued.

The representatives from Cogta and Thabede have promised to pass the memorandum to the MEC and the Mayor, respectively as all unions wait for any action from the municipality with bated breath.

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