Malcontent leads to sit-in
Samwu and EMLM meet during protest action
THE South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) leadership and mayoral committee of Enoch Mgijima Local Mmunicipality were locked in a meeting yesterday following days of what the union has termed a sit-in at the town hall since Friday.
Rubbish has not been collected, while the budget and treasury office remains closed from Monday.
Samwu regional secretary in Chris Hani Mongameli Mancam said the protest action by union members was as a result of non-consultation about the outsourcing of electricity upgrades to a private company.
He claimed that although the mayoral committee was initially reluctant to meet the union, a meeting was eventually scheduled on Tuesday evening for the union to raise its concerns.
“When you want to outsource a service, you must consult the unions as directed by section 84 to 86 of the Labour Relations Act. We pointed this out to the mayoral committee and they agreed.”
He said there would be follow-up meeting on Monday next week with the mayoral committee while the union were due to have its own meeting yesterday where a mandate would be given by members on whether to continue with the sit-in.
Mancam said the union had made it clear though that it did not want the contractor.
“We cannot have the municipality paying R10-million to a private company when that money can be used to buy equipment for the technical services employees to work.”
Mancam said there were individuals who could draw benefit when there was work done by private companies through corruption.
He said the union also wanted the employees from the former merged municipalities to be accommodated in the new structure. He said this would bring stability and enable the municipality to have an organogram. The union is also insisting that employees who have been on contract since last year, be absorbed.
At the time, Mancam said it was agreed that the issues should be taken to council for placement on the IDP, whereafter the planned meeting on Monday would discuss further developments.
The Rep was, however, reliably informed that issues meant to go to the council meeting for adoption as raised by Samwu, were struck off the agenda.
This led to a follow-up meeting between Samwu and the mayoral committee which was still under way when The Rep went to print yesterday.
It could not be established how much money the municipality had lost as a result of the protest action as communications manager Fundile Feketshane had not responded to e-mailed questions.
The Rep could also not find out what plans, if any, the municipality had to catch up with such things as rubbish collection or people who were supposed to be tested for their learners’ and drivers’ licences.