adminon yesterday.
“Our union’s membership from around the country have indicated that they are ready and willing to embark on this rolling mass action,” Samwu general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo told reporters in Johannesburg.
He said the union rejected an offer of a 6 percent wage increase by the employer, the SA Local Government Association (Salga), and demanded increases of 18 percent or R2 000, whichever was greater.
“Contrary to what analysts have been saying, we believe that there is nothing wrong with demanding double digits. In fact, with such grave poverty witnessed in our country, workers ought to demand
nothing less.”
He said the strike would extend to the essential services sector, and possibly the water sector.
The union had also rejected the offer of a 4,6 percent increase by the SA Association of Water Utilities (Saawu). Nhlapo said Saawu indicated it was not in a position to respond to the union’s demands on
housing, overtime, tool allowance, six months maternity leave and phasing out of a total-cost-to-company remuneration structure in the industry.
“If workers in the water sector strike, there will be a water crisis. Almost 60 to 70 percent of workers in South Africa’s water boards are Samwu members.”
He said Samwu would call off the strike if Salga and Saawu approached it with a new offer before August 15, but doubted this would happen. “If Salga was honest, we could avoid the strike, but they show no intention of finding a resolution.”
Nhlapo said the strike was also motivated by a large pay gap between municipal managers and their workers.
“We need to deal with the economy of this country. How can a manager walk away with millions at the end of the year when the workers only get a few thousand and end up feeling disempowered?
South Africa should not be a place where workers are (treated) like sacrificial lambs.”
The strike would affect 262 municipalities across the country. – SAPA.
Online Reporter