Payment questions
Varied opinions on remuneration of strikers
BEFORE the erstwhile Lukhanji Municipality made a payment of more than R6-million to its employees in June this year, the local authority received advice from the South African Local Government Association (Salga) not to pay the money as the municipality was in the process of an amalgamation to become the Enoch Mgijima Municipality. The payment led to the two-month unprotected strike by the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) with the municipality slapping the union with a protection order. The Rep reported (“Strike in spotlight,” September 2) that while there was no clear indication as to whether the strike had ended, some workers could be seen cleaning the streets.
According to an in-committee agenda item, Lukhanji paid R6221640 to employees in June with Enoch Mgijima interim municipal manager Nolwandle Gqiba confirming this week that the decision had carried council approval.
The payment, however, was later criticised by Samwu regional secretary Mongameli Mancam as having benefited the managers only, leading to the strike.
In another report (“Council disruption,” July 29), The Rep reported a local labour forum meeting resolved that a once-off gratuity payment of R1.9-million be made to general workers and R889563.74 be paid to employees who did not benefit from task-grade movement and that such workers should be upgraded one task-grade up.
This would mean that the municipality would have to pay increased salaries not included in the budget.
The Rep this week obtained access to a copy of a letter written by Salga provincial executive officer Gcinikhaya Mpumza to Gqiba on June 28.
“This letter serves to inform you that your municipal application for re-categorisation was submitted to the Provincial Job Evaluation (JE) committee as per the Salga guidelines on Municipal Categorisation Guidelines of 2013. The job evaluation provincial audit committee subsequently met on June 21-24 this year and your application was assessed by the committee.
“Unfortunately, after detailed assessment of the application, the provincial JE audit committee viewed it inappropriate to approve the application considering that Lukhanji LM is one of the municipalities which are in the process of amalgamation with Tsolwana and Nkwanca LM,” the letter read.
In another letter addressed to the municipality’s directors by Gqiba on July 11, it is stated the directors should keep a strict attendance register as the municipal workers were on an illegal strike.
“This serves to advise that Samwu members embarked on an unprotected industrial action with effect from July 8 this year. On July 11 this year, the action turned violent which necessitated this office to obtain an interdict against striking workers.
“The interdict is in place and as such any staff member who continue participating in the illegal action, run (sic) the risk of
The payment of R6.2m was done within the ambit of the law
being dealt with in terms of the law.”
Enoch Mgijima executive mayor Lindiwe Gunuza Nkwentsha had previously, during a council meeting (‘Strike in spotlight’ The Rep, September 2), said she did not know about the interdict, asking anyone with a copy to provide it to the municipality.
Gqiba this week confirmed receiving the letter from Salga but declined to comment on the in-committee agenda item relating to the R6.2-million payment.
She said in-committee items were highly confidential and such information should not be passed on to journalists by those who had access to them.
Gqiba said while she asked for advice from Salga from time to time, Salga did not take away the executive powers the local authority had.
“The payment of the R6.2-million had a council resolution and was done within the ambit of the law. We used an accredited company for the benchmarking leading to the payment.”
No comment was forthcoming from Salga despite questions which have been sent to the local government body since the beginning of the strike.