Mangaung Metro Municipal workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) have down tools over wage negotiations.Approximately 100 workers gathered outside the municipal offices this morning to enquire about outstanding overtime payments and deductions on their monthly salaries.
The union’s Deputy Provincial Secretary, Dumisani Magagula says the municipality management is not coming to table with the union.
“The Provincial Secretary is trying by all means to get hold of the Municipal Manager there, but no one is coming to table. Employees were paid in parts and overtime salaries were not paid and there was no warning that this is going to happen,” says Magagula.
He says they have discovered that a number of municipalities in the province have not been paying employees’ salaries. He says in a meeting with Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality yesterday, it was revealed that the municipality has been struggling to remunerate employees due to the municipality’s agreement with Eskom.
“These municipalities are not collecting revenues and as a result they are not able to fund their salary bills, as we speak Ngwathe Local Municipality was supposed to pay salaries this morning, but they are not paid. We have not yet met with management because we cannot get hold with the municipal manager”. Magagula says it is believed the same situation applies to Mangaung Metro Municipality.
Katleho Morapela / Courant News
