REFILWE MEKOA
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union in Sasolburg has submitted another notice to strike.
Samwu’s Free State Secretary Dumisani Magagula said they will once again down tools in seven to fourteen days. Metsimaholo Municipality workers downed tools last week. Magagula said it seemed like the municipality didn’t take notice of their needs and complains. He said Metsimaholo Municipality was notified on 17 June about a possible strike, prior to that, another notification was submitted on 20 May.
“Samwu’s shop steward met with municipal officials and the regional secretary where a memorandum of understanding was drafted to resolve issues that were raised by employees,” he said. Magagula added that there was a lot of dispute around the filling of vacant posts, as temporary employees don’t receive first preference.
He said some of the issues they were unhappy with are when posts are advertised externally before internally and outsourcing of municipal services affects the employment security of employees.
“We have health and safety issues, unilateral change of recruitment policy by the employer and also matters of insurance. The group scheme is selectively paying out some members’ amounts while some other members don’t receive payments,” he said.
Magagula stated that Metsimaholo has a lot of temporary employees. Metsimaholo municipality has been hit by a number of strikes and service delivery protests since last year. In July last year two Metsimaholo Municipal buildings were torched.
