Salary disparity at muni

FOLLOWING a one day industrial action by members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) at the Greater Tzaneen Municipality last week over salary disparity, a private service provider has been appointed to look into the problem.

According to Samwu chairperson in the municipality, Sello Manyama, the workers were worried as employees in the institution, especially those occupying managerial positions, did not receive equal pay, and that there was a vast difference between their positions, even though they were appointed on the same level.

He said there were some managers who earned close to a million rand annually, while others received less than half a million annually, despite having the same responsibilities.

Manyama said the managers who were recently appointed received meagre pays and that they were always demoralised.

“We are sick and tired because of how our workers are treated by this institution,” Manyama said.

He said the municipality appointed Maffa Attorneys to assess the salary disparity and had to report back to the workers shortly.

Manyama said should the service provider fail to come up with a convincing report, the workers would shut down the institution until something better was done.

He called on workers to be patient while Maffa Attorneys, which was appointed a while ago, made its assessments on the issue.

Spokesperson for the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Neville Ndlala, admitted there was such a situation at the institution and that it had started at a time when managers’ contracts were converted from contracts into permanent appointments some few years ago.

“It won’t be easy for the municipality to cut their salaries into half as that would demoralise them,” Nldlala said.