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Thousands pledge to march in Tshwane as frustrations mount over labour brokers. |
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Thousands pledge to march in Tshwane as frustrations mount over labour brokers. SAMWU PRESS STATEMENT. 13th January 2010.
For the past two years processes to facilitate the permanent appointments of contract workers in the Tshwane Municipality have been ongoing. To date none of these processes have translated into tangible agreements. “It has been far too long, it is the labour brokers who are frustrating service delivery” say frustrated Municipal workers.
Frustrations have grown so high that workers demanded the intervention of the Executive Mayor and vowed to face any opposition head-on.
Thousands of South African Municipal Workers (SAMWU) Union members across Tshwane want to pledge their support through a March and a picket. The SAMWU local Tshwane Branch has since made an application for approval to stage a march, if approved the march will go ahead tomorrow the 14th of January 2010, bringing services to a halt, until demands are met.
This after Waste removal workers clashed violently with Tshwane metro police this week when they refused to leave their Pretoria West depot.
In 2008 the SAMWU local Branch in Tshwane concluded a blueprint on phasing out labour brokers/personnel services and contracts within the Municipality. This came after robust engagement ensued between SAMWU and the Executive Mayor, where a task team was established to implement the blueprint, which was dubbed a Memorandum of Understanding.
One of the key clauses in the Memorandum of Understanding was that upon expiry of each contract, the Tshwane Municipality will not renew the contract but will employ workers directly.
Despite the Memorandum of Understanding between SAMWU and the Executive Mayor of Tshwane there are labour broking companies which are still operating within the municipality and one of them is a company called CAPACITY.
This contract with CAPACITY was suppose to have been terminated on the 31st of July 2009 but the Municipality opted to renew the contract with the labour brokers, on a month to month basis.
The issues of dispute and strike action to follow are as result of the lopsided implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that had been reached between SAMWU and the Executive Mayor. Municipal workers say that “4 companies have been terminated in line with provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding but for some odd reason CAPACITY was allowed to operate even after the termination date. The workers are demanding that CAPACITY be terminated immediately as a temporary employment service.
Equally important, workers want permanent employment. “For the past two years processes have been kicked around to facilitate the permanent appointments of contract workers and none has translated into tangible agreements” said Municipal workers.
For further comment contact Zebulon Monkoe SAMWU Tshwane Branch Secretary on 0766251565 or 012-3205793/5
Tahir Sema.
South African Municipal Workers' Union of COSATU.
National Media and Publicity officer.
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Office: 011-331 0333.
Cell: 0829403403.
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Worker's News April 2008 PART 1 (514)
