Workers march for grade 5 pay
The union claims the municipality has breached their agreement.
South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members held a march in Port Shepstone last Thursday, where they called on Ray Nkonyeni Municipality to implement the agreement (after the three-month workers’ strike) signed in January.
According to workers, the municipal manager, Khetha Zulu, has asked for an exemption on the grading of workers.
The first deputy president of SAMWU, Mluleki Mbhele, said they are unhappy with Zulu.
“He still has not explained to us the reason workers are not being paid under grade 5. We no longer have trust in him, and that is why we marched to the municipal offices to give them a memorandum.”
Mbhele said that Zulu has breached their agreement.
However, when the workers got to the main municipal offices, they were told that no one was available to receive their memorandum.
Mbhele said the workers eventually left because no one met with them.
He added that they followed due process for the march, and therefore, they are still waiting for the memorandum to be received.
Zulu said that they (SAMWU) are deliberately misleading the people and disputes the exemption.
“As the municipality, we are waiting for the National Bargaining Council to approve their application for grade 5. Once that is done, then we we will know when to start paying the workers on grade 5.”
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