Grocott’s Mail
By OVAYO MILISA NOVUKELA
This week’s ‘go-slow’ by Makana Municipality workers was called off on Wednesday, 7 September, pending the outcome of negotiations.
Regular refuse collection resumed on Wednesday, and Makana Communications advised residents to put out their refuse for the rest of the week. Uncollected garbage built up around town on Monday and Tuesday.
Makana municipal manager Moppo Mene said formal disputes between the Municipal Council, municipal management and workers were being dealt with “internally”. If the dispute is not resolved, it will be referred to the SA Local Government Bargaining Council.
Workers staged a sit-in protest on Wednesday while negotiations continued.
After Makana Municipality responded to workers’ grievances, the principle of no work, no pay would have applied to a go-slow or strike, Mene said. “Hence the workers are back at work. There are platforms in place, like the Local Labour Forum, to resolve the impasse.”
Workers launched the go-slow on Monday, 5 September, partly because they allege the municipality has failed to fully pay their pensions, provident, funeral, and medical aid funds.
Workers are also contesting the below-inflation 3% wage increase offered by the municipality.
According to an anonymous source, workers want to find out “why our [pension, provident, funeral and medical aid] policies are lapsing when monthly contributions continue to be deducted from our wages”.
According to a circular from the Makana Municipality communications officer, there have been several engagements between municipal leadership and employees since last Friday.
Grocott’s Mail has approached union representatives for comment and will update this story as it unfolds.
