The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in the Koena Ramotlou region marched to the City of Ekurhuleni on Thursday to hand over a detailed memorandum demanding urgent action on long-standing labour grievances.
Hundreds of workers gathered outside the city’s offices, saying their patience “has been tested to the extreme” after years of unresolved issues raised in the local labour forum, bilateral meetings and written correspondence.
The union represents more than 10,000 workers across the municipality.
In a 27-point memorandum addressed to mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and city manager Kagiso Lerutla, Samwu accused the municipality of failing to honour agreements, ignoring arbitration awards and exposing workers to unfair labour practices.
Key demands include:
- Encashment of leave days as previously resolved in the local labour forum.
- Payment of acting allowances for employees who acted in higher roles and have not been paid.
- Compensation of the Covid-19 allowance for workers who risked their health during the pandemic.
- Payment and increase of funeral service assistance, subject to three quotations.
- Implementation of the Gauteng conditions arbitration award from the South African Local Bargaining Council.
- Adjustment of salary disparities, including converting 60 hours into Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) salary packages and responding to the EMPD demand list.
- Rank promotion in line with department of emergency services (Dems) policies, with immediate effect for qualifying members.
- Danger allowance for all qualifying employees.
- Separation of bonus from normal salary due to negative tax implications.
- Stop the formation of business units, which the union says is unprocedural and sidesteps bargaining structures.
- Insourcing of cleaners and security guards in line with an existing council resolution.
- Provision of serviced stands for municipal workers to support access to adequate housing.
- Urgent provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools of trade each financial year.
- Decentralisation of PPE to depots, with procurement reflecting employee input.
- Appointment of 140 Dems reservists as firefighters with full benefits.
- Conversion of traffic wardens to metro police and completion of related processes.
- Stop over-reliance on contracted services and insource non-technical services such as waste removal, parks, sport, recreation, arts and culture and roads.
- Stop unilateral changes to working hours and conditions, including weekend shifts being treated as normal days.
- Repairs and maintenance of fleet and facilities, with proper budgeting aligned to Municipal Finance Management Act requirements.
- Filling of vacant positions to strengthen service delivery and accountability.
- Stop victimisation of Sawwu members and shop stewards, including reinstating and compensating those unfairly suspended.
- Transparency in recruitment of senior management and inclusion of Samwu in the process.
- Proper alignment of political and administrative roles, preventing political interference in administrative matters.
- Scrapping experience requirements for entry-level posts to open opportunities for young graduates.
- Provision and reinstatement of bursaries for employees, supported by a dedicated budget.
- Sitting of grievances within 30 days and implementation of arbitration and labour court awards in favour of members.
- Ekurhuleni Water Care Company matters, including restructuring of grades, payment of risk allowances, correct overtime payment for shift workers and improved PPE.
SAMWU has given the City of Ekurhuleni 14 working days to formally respond to all the demands, saying workers expect a response that is “specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”.
Union members said their frustrations stem from years of stalled negotiations and what they describe as a growing disconnect between political leadership, municipal management and the workforce that keeps the city running.
The City of Ekurhuleni acknowledged receipt of the memorandum.
TimesLIVE
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