|
Mpumalanga Municipality unlawfully acts against employees. |
|
|
|
Mpumalanga Municipality unlawfully acts against employees.
SAMWU PRESS STATEMENT.
12th November 2009.
After the week long national wage strike this year, Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Mpumalanga resumed what promised to be normal operations. The no-work-no-pay principle was earnestly applied and our members welcomed it because they knew the gains achieved by the legal industrial action were more.
Ten of our members were charged for strike-related activities! In most of these charges, the municipality doesn’t have jurisdiction. To make matters worse, private lawyers are being used to preside and prosecute our members. This, it must be said, is against the spirit of the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC).
It must also be noted that the municipality has senior personnel, including qualified legal practitioners in its employ. All these individuals were trained to handle dispute resolution. SAMWU as a majority union in this untransformed municipality will endeavour to oppose such blatant waste of tax payers’ money. All this is happening after the municipality claimed it doesn’t have funds to service the semiformal community of Avalon.
We have also reliably learned that more charges against our members are on the way. Another anomaly is that the private prosecutor is formulating these charges without being instructed by the municipal manager. It is clear that this constitutes a conflict of interest. This might also be another case of “jobs for pals” as his appointment hasn’t been transparent. It is also proper to mention that in all his cases, this prosecutor has recommended dismissal as a sanction. This, he protested, was his mandate!
The local representatives of SAMWU have also challenged, through the SALGBC, the usage of private lawyers in internal labour disputes. We are patiently waiting for a date for the sitting of the hearing.
Council and its management are failing to respond to the numerous requests to engage with the union. The local SAMWU leadership has escalated the matter and are dealing with the following as a matter of urgency:
• Alerting the community about the rampant mismanagement of their resources;
• Through its provincial structures, to request the MEC of Co-operative Governance to release the long awaited ministerial task team report
• Sensitize its members on the need to remain vigilant;
• Embark on an indefinite industrial action until this madness stops.
For comment contact SAMWU Highveld Branch Media Co-ordinator Kgosi Makwati on 083 686 6995.
Tahir Sema.
South African Municipal Workers' Union of COSATU.
National Media and Publicity officer.
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Office: 011-331 0333.
Cell: 0829403403.
|
Worker's News April 2008 PART 1 (514)
