Rand Water rescinds bonuses decision
Rand Water on Wednesday withdrew its decision not to pay performance incentive bonuses to its staff pending the outcome of a hearing at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), a statutory body for aggrieved employees.
In return, its striking employees belonging to the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) agreed to suspend their strike action.
In an agreement, which labour court judge André van Niekerk made an order of the court, the two parties agreed to meet at the CCMA on April 28 for further engagement.
Samwu elected to embark on what it said was a protected strike after accusing the company of “unilaterally changing the conditions of service of workers, in particular withdrawing incentive bonuses, which workers had been receiving for the last 17 years”. Rand Water communications manager Teboho Joala told Business Day earlier on Wednesday that the company approached the court urgently as the Samwu leadership did not follow due process as enshrined in labour legislation to embark on the industrial action.
Though the union says the performance bonus is part of the terms and conditions of employment, “it’s a discretionary bonus paid at the discretion of the board”, said Joala.
Samwu Gauteng secretary Bafana Zungu said Rand Water did not want to “commit to an amicable solution” in terms of withdrawing the circular that “stopped the incentive bonuses, essentially changing the conditions of service for workers”.
“In the labour court proceedings, the judge lambasted the employer for failing to meet the union to solve this issue as a matter of urgency. The judge further [urged] parties to meet and come up with a settlement agreement,” said Zungu. “As per the settlement agreement, which [has] become an order of the court, the employer has agreed to withdraw the memorandum which unilaterally changed the conditions of [employment]. As a union, we have as a sign of good faith also postponed our strike until April 28.”
Zungu said the union remained optimistic that the CCMA would rule in its favour.
“In the interests of ensuring continued and uninterrupted water services to residents served by Rand Water, we remain open to further engagements with the employer,” he said.
“If the employer fails to agree to the demands of workers, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that residents and industries that are served by Rand Water in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West will have running water,” said Zungu. “All we can do is pray and hope for rain as that will be the only source of water that will be available in those areas.”
On Tuesday, Rand Water CEO Sipho Mosai told Business Day that most of their 3,000strong workforce were essential service workers, with only about 1,000 nonessential service employees.
The supply and distribution of water is classified as an essential service and essential service workers are prohibited from striking.
Mosai said that it would be “a serious offence that may even lead to dismissals” if the utility’s essential service employees downed tools.
Rand Water is crucial to the economy as it supplies Gauteng’s three metropolitan municipalities, local municipalities, mines and other industries, as well as parts of Mpumalanga, the North West and the Free State with an average of 3.653-million litres of drinkable water daily.