The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) at Mafube local municipality are at loggerheads over the cancelation of the go-slow movement after receiving three months’ worth of salaries.
The penniless municipality had missed May, June and July scheduled payment dates, leaving staff battling to keep their assets and children in school, among others.
The payments are said to have cost the municipality more than R20-million.
The employees finally received their salaries on Wednesday, as they were preparing a total shutdown of the municipality and disrupt services it offers to the community.
Samwu chairperson Johnson Mbele said the union is happy that workers have received their salaries.
However, he said, they have no trust in the municipality anymore, as they have been faced with late payments for the past five years.
Mbele said workers are not willing to return to work yet, claiming that the payments might be a trick by the employer to make sure that they return to their jobs.
“We really do not have any trust anymore. We want a permanent solution to the challenges we face,” said Mbele.
“We made it very clear in our memorandum that our issue was not only the money we are owed for all the work done.
“Receiving our payments does not mean we will jump back to the office and work. We will not go back to work until everything is as we wish it to be. Our memorandum needs to be respected.”
He said it is still early to confirm if the municipality will grant them the promised R3 500 food vouchers.
“A lot is still to be discussed. This is not the end. We are meeting with the LLF [Local Labour Forum) on Monday, because we wish for all our cries to be heard.
“Our municipality needs positive change, we need to be happy,” said Mbele.
Imatu branch chairperson Tshepo Tsotetsi said union members plan to return to work on Monday.
He said the union members are grateful to have received their salaries and were using the day to pay off debts and buy groceries.
“I am not for the idea that people should not go back to work. I will encourage employees to go back to work, our main issue now is to have both pension funds release the benefits,” said Tsotetsi.
“We are now faced with arrears and bank charges that need to be covered, so with our payments I am confident that the management will help us cover these.”
Tsotetsi said Imatu is holding back on shutting down the municipality, at least until the union has received a response from its memorandum.
Mafube municipal manager Mothusi Lepheana said municipal accounts were still attached, meaning he will need to go out and ask for assistance to have employees paid.
“I have asked for assistance and it took about R20-million to have everyone paid. I did not want a single person missed,” said Lepheana.
“My next move is to have a meeting with senior managers to discuss a way forward on the money we owe our employees, this includes bank charges which we believe have affected their salaries.
“We had promised them food vouchers but we believe they can now cover that themselves because they have been paid. For now, we need to prioritise the charges issue.”
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