Local government pay talks back to conciliation

PARTIES at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council will return to a conciliation process this week, when there may be an end to the local government wage negotiations.

The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union have been in protracted wage negotiations with Salga since March. The talks failed several times. A facilitator’s proposal also failed.

A final step, through a conciliator, was facilitated last month, when a recommended wage deal was proposed.

A conciliator had recommended a 3.5% wage increase across the board for municipal workers – effective from July 2021. It also proposed a three-year agreement to conclude in 2024.

The report also recommended an added once-off non-pensionable R4 000 cash payment for workers earning less than R12 500, and R3 000 non-pensionable cash payment for workers earning more than R12 500.

Parties, Samwu, Salga and Imatu, had until the end of last month to accept the deal. A conciliation process is expected to resume today, when the proposed deal may be finalised.

Samwu held a national executive meeting on August 31 and its members gave the mandate to accept the offer.

But the union remains uneasy over some issues which include the duration of the agreement, payment of the once-off amount to be done by no later than December and no freezing of benefits in the first year of the agreement.

Imatu had already indicated it would accept the offer, its president, Keith Swanepoel, said.

Salga welcomed the proposal and said it would consult its members on whether to accept it.