The highly controversial increases come at a time of growing disruption of electricity supply and electrical infrastructure degradation throughout the industrial heartland of Emfuleni in addition to crises in the roads and water/sanitation and sewage sector.
“Municipal pay increases would reflect on ELM employee salary slips at the end of August,” said Leseane. He emphasised the increases were agreed upon in the Bargaining Council, in a multi-year agreement, and had already been budgeted for.

“ELM could also not risk breaking the agreement as this could result in intensive labour unrest and work stoppages in the municipal sector,” Leseane added.
“We know we have elements in the ELM workforce that could be more productive but more than 90% of our employees are dedicated and they deserve their increases because they are working extremely hard on issues such as restoring power,” said Leseane.

However, Leseane denied that any funding from service delivery budgets would be used for the pay increases, which have ignited bitter controversy and opposition from not only the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC), but the community, political arena and civil society.

GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger said the increases remain immoral and that ELM must show exactly how funding would not be taken from service delivery budgets to pay for the pay increases.
Kritzinger said the GTCoC was also extremely concerned at the impact of the rapidly degrading electrical infrastructure on informal and micro-businesses in both suburbs and townships throughout the region.

“ELM is undermining the very basis of existence of business and residential life systematically and we do not think that predatory officials should be rewarded for that – neither Emfuleni nor South Africa can afford or should tolerate overpaid but under-performing officials,” Kritzinger concluded.