RNM strike talks fail

Striking Ray Nkonyeni Municipality (RNM) workers have not backed down, and with no solution in sight, communities are getting zero services.

It has been two months since RNM workers took to the streets demanding back pay and to be upgraded after the amalgamation of two local municipalities, Izinqoleni and Hibiscus Coast.

Despite numerous meetings between various structures within the municipality and the workers, including the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), a solution has not been found.

In the last meeting held at the Port Shepstone Civic Centre recently, the municipal manager, Khetha Zulu, along with his HoDs had to leave because workers were not interested in his presentation but only wanted to know when they will be paid.

Instead, they felt the presentation focused on ‘beating around the bush’ and not giving them the answers they wanted.

Workers were also upset that Zulu came with bodyguards and Saps members, which implied that they (the workers) were fighting with him and that the meeting was no longer an RNM one but a public one.

At the meeting, Zulu said that they were looking at withdrawing the court review, but they would do that after they have come up with a payment plan.

He also emphasised that council does not make decisions on the issue of grading the municipality, but Cogta is responsible for that.

“I do not make decisions on my own; the matter of reviewing the six-month backpay was advice from our legal team, it was not my decision. It is difficult to reach an agreement with SAMWU due to some of the things that we do not agree on.”

In a statement released regarding the protest, Zulu said it seems the biggest problem is that the workers are not prepared to take guidance and leadership from the elected SAMWU shop stewards.

Furthermore, he said that an attempt to interdict the strike on an urgent basis was unsuccessful.

“The court was not convinced that there was an imminent threat of further strike action, as no disruptions had occurred since December 13, 2024.”

The statement also alluded to administrative actions such as the daily attendance registers are being maintained to implement the no-work-no-pay principle.

Zulu said two notices have been issued to all employees aimed at appealing to them to go back to work and to allow the relevant parties to deal with the matter.

However, cases of intimidation, damage to electricity infrastructure, and damage to property have not stopped.

A recent case of damage to property was that of a municipal vehicle parked at the residence of a municipal employee in Gamalakhe, who was not participating in the strike.

To date, workers still gather outside the RNM main offices waiting for an answer as to when and how are they getting their money.

The Herald contacted SAMWU for comment, but none was received at the time of going to press.

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