HCM workers march on council chambers

MUNICIPAL workers want a say in who gets what job after the amalgamation of the Hibiscus Coast and Ezinqoleni municipalities.

And they marched on HCM council chambers last Tuesday to demand to be included in the processes.

SAPS and law enforcement had to be called to this,  HCM’s final meeting of the year, and mayor Nomusa Mqwebu eventually had to go out to calm the protesters down.

The disgruntled office and general workers, members of SAMWU, were not happy with the organogram processes that are set to take place because of the amalgamation.

They claimed municipal manager Max Mbili and his technical team were ‘undermining the internal processes of the organogram protocol’ by not consulting with the local labour forum. They feared there was a plot to bypass the forum and push the organogram through.

There was even a placard calling for Mr Mbili’s predecessor, Sbu Mkhize, to be brought back.

Union chairman Mondli Ncane said they were not interested in listening to officials whom they claimed were the root cause of their unhappiness.

“Responsibe officials have been playing hide and seek with us. They did not attend three scheduled meetings. Instead, they claimed they were in ‘training’. This was just to avoid us.”

He said they wanted the mayor and councillors to sign an agreement that any processes pertaining to the new organogram should be postponed until the new year and when proper consultation with the forum could take place.

Cllr Mqwebu explained that the matter was not on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting and, after caucusing with councillors, she signed the agreement with Mr Ncane.

Threats of a strike dissipated and the workers cheered.