‘Status quo remains: tools down’

MOKOPANE – Percy Nketse, representative of the municipal work force, says their status quo remains, they will only go back to work once their salaries are adjusted according to their sister municipalities with the same grading scale.

This follows after the municipal employees decided to down their tools on 10 March, bringing the Mogalakwena municipality to a complete standstill with no services rendered.

Nketse said the following points were discussed with Minister van Rooyen:

• All court interdicts and pending charges must be withdrawn so that we can start on a clean page and re-establish a local labour forum.
• There must be a commitment between the employer and employees that on return to work no one will be victimised.
• The employer must commit himself to say that the policy of no work no pay will not be implemented as it was not our decision to leave the premises, we were interdicted as the management team of Mogalakwena rather went to court than to engage with us.
• Benchmarking! Salga graded the Mogalakwena Municipality a grade 6 municipality is 2012, but up to now our salaries are not in line with the grading. We want benchmarking to be implemented as from 1 March.

“A final resolution has not been agreed upon as of yet and we are awaiting to engage with Mayor Parks Sebatjane and the MEC of CoGHSTA, Makoma Makhurupetje this morning (Thursday),” Nketse concluded.

There were also lengthy meetings held on Wednesday in the Lekalakala Chambers between Mayor Sebatjane, a delegation of CoGSTA, Minister van Rooyen and ward councillors with regards to the standstill and the recent court order stating Willy Kekana should be re-instated as Municipal Manger with immediate effect.

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Municipal employees make decision to down tools