Ugu truce ends water crisis stand-off

A TRUCE has been reached between the Ugu District Municipality and its workers, bringing to an end a stand-off which has led to a water crisis on the South Coast.

Following a nine-hour meeting chaired by Premier Willies Mchunu, it was agreed in the early hours of Friday morning that water services would be restored and workers would return to their posts with immediate effect.

In a statement after the meeting, the municipality described the agreement as “groundbreaking” but one which was for the interim.

In attendance was Jaycee Ncanana, the provincial secretary of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).

He was also present at a community and stakeholder meeting where the public vented their frustration to Mchunu earlier last week.

Ncanana said yesterday that the resolution had come as the municipality was finally willing, albeit under compulsion by the premier, to negotiate with workers.

“The premier has directed that they should keep their doors open. We are happy that at last we have been able to sit down, put issues on the table, negotiate and reach an agreement,” he said.

While workers had denied being on strike, instead pointing the finger at the municipality for locking them out, Ncanana said the work stoppage would come to an end.

But in order for this message to filter through to workers, the suspension of 11 shop stewards had to be lifted.

The work stoppage, which left residents without water for more than 10 days, was over the docking of salaries.

The municipality said: “While reinforcing the no work no pay rule, the agreement subjects all outstanding issues in the current dispute to the process of facilitation that is led by the Office of the Premier.”

Ncanana said he was confident that even this contentious issue would be justly resolved under the guidance of the premier.

“We have a July 31 deadline to report to the premier about these resolutions but along the way, we will – on a weekly basis – be making progress reports to him.”

Before the deadline to finalise the issues, the municipality said it would in the meantime remain free to exercise all it rights as an employer.

“Management of the municipality and workers under Samwu agreed that the law must take its course in finding those responsible for vandalising and interfering with the water infrastructure,” the municipality said.

Ugu mayor Mondli Chiliza said the district municipality was pleased that there was “light at the end of the tunnel” and called for greater respect from both sides in future engagements.

“The first consideration is that the water must start flowing as soon as possible. Above all else, this is what has brought us here, to see that this basic right to water is provided to the people of this district,” said Mchunu.

Since the stand-off was resolved, water had been restored to various areas: “Port Edward is at a healthy level, and Palm Beach is filling,” he said.