SEDIBENG. – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on MEC for COGTA, Lebogang Maile to investigate the reasons why the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) is having continuous labour issues with its employees, and to ascertain whether the ELM is following proper labour legislation and Code of Conduct with regards to its employees.
This is after Maile is said to have revealed, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) that the ELM has spent over R 669 million on labour disputes with its employees.
According to Maile, ELM has spent approximately R 500 000 000 on legal fees defending labour dispute cases since 2013 and they have paid R 169 502 688, 32 to employees for cases that they have lost. In total, the municipality is said to have paid over R 669 million for legal fees and employee compensation.
DA’s Gauteng Spokesperson on Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Kingsol Chabalala, said that it is worrying that the employees are winning labour dispute cases and large sums of money are being paid by a municipality that is facing serious cash flow problems.
“We will also table follow-up questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain what measures are being put in place to curb labour disputes in this municipality.”
It is also said that there are 25 cases that have been referred to the Bargaining Council, 14 cases that have been referred to the Labour Court and three disputes that have been referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Furthermore, there are 18 awards in favour of employees of which two have Labour Court judgments, only 12 cases were won by the municipality.
