Streets in the city centre were covered in litter yesterday as members of South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) emptied out litter bins to mark the beginning of their nationwide strike.
Streets in the city centre were covered in litter yesterday as members of South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) emptied out litter bins to mark the beginning of their nationwide strike.
Wandile Bikitsha, Samwu chairperson in Makana, said they demand that the South African Local Government Association (Salga) to implement the job evaluations which will result in workers being paid monies owed to them due to personnel upgrading dating as far back as three years ago.
“The three years is a compromise,” explained Bikitsha, “the union started making this demand in 2004.” He added that Salga wants to implement the payment scale which was used in 2008 but “we want the current scale”.
“We want lawyers to be removed from disciplinary and grievance hearings in municipalities,” he added. Attempts to speak to Salga's provincial office drew a blank as officials in Oxford House did not answer the phone.
Salga is a body which is made up of local government leaders from all over the country and negotiates in the bargaining chamber on behalf of all municipalities.
Hundreds of Samwu members gathered in front of City Hall in the early morning where they chanted and toyi-toyied.
Shortly after 9am they marched to the traffic department where they demanded that other members in the department leave their posts to join them.
They emptied litter bins and bags in front of the department and then raided the area around the department for more rubbish.
They later marched to the municipality's finance department where they did the same, strewing rubbish in front and inside of the City Hall.
Attempts to speak to the municipality drew a blank as Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese did not answer his phone.
Meanwhile, Makana Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart reported to the council during its special meeting on Friday that Samwu intends to embark on a strike following a dispute on the “wage curve” and the disciplinary code. She added that the dispute was declared early in 2009.
“The municipality has discussed a strike contingency plan with Samwu, and Salga has urged that the minimum essential services agreement where one exists, be strictly enforced as well as the principle of no work no pay,” she explained.
