Memorandum to the Chairperson of the Board of ERWAT by striking workers in Gauteng, delivered on the 16th of February 2010 at ERWAT Head office
SAMWU PRESS STATEMENT.
17th February 2010.
Introduction
We have overtime observed how the East Rand Water Care Company (ERWAT) management has snubbed the Union and denied workers participation in the internal processes of transforming the institution. This kind of behaviour has far reaching implications in entrenching non-transparency of the institution and allows for corrupt activities. We are here to confirm that you were wrongly appointed and your interest is for the ERWAT not to grow.
We have also realized that members are barred from wearing t-shirts of the Union and it had to take the entire leadership to make you understand that it was their constitutional right to associate and promote their Union through the regalia. We have on numerous occasions made attempts to meet with the senior management without avail. You continued to ignore us whenever we requested a meeting. We are here to tell you that your time is up and all that you have done thus far to undermine the Union and mistreat workers will stop with immediate effect.
The demands
• ERTEC
The sale of ERTEC has gone so fast and to date you have not been able to publish the amount and it is safe to mention that we have received informal reports that you sold the company with an amount of R70 000.00 and the value of the company is well above the amount you sold it for. After the sale of ERTEC you went on to request about R400m from Ekurhuleni Municipality and the request was approved. We therefore demand that:
1. Reasons that prompted the sale of ERTEC
2. Details of the sale to be made public and also those who bought it
3. Managers that were involved in the sale should be suspended pending full investigation into the finances
4. Details of how R400m was used.
• Establishment of the Local labour Forum (LLF).
We have made all that is possible to make you understand that LLF is the structure that assists in the process of transformation of the ERWAT but your lazy & casual approach to this important structure has made us lose hope in your leadership to transform the ERWAT. You have scratched our patience too far and therefore we demand that:
1. LLF should be formed within seven days.
• Employment equity plan and the reports.
The affirmative action and employment equity acts provides correct platform and space to transform the workplace for the benefit of the previously disadvantages. The legislations allow employers to develop policies and standards that will be known to all so that the processes are transparent. You have also denied us permission to the employment equity plan and even annual reports.
You have continued to exclude the union on the processes lead up to the development & finalization of the employment equity and reports. Therefore we demand that:
1. You make public the employment equity plan & reports for the past three years
2. Recruitment & Selection policy be developed forthwith
• Decision making structures of the institution.
In your effort to ignore the union you have ensured that we are excluded in the decision making structures like management & operations meetings and you also kept the union in the dark about decisions taken by the board thus making it difficult for participation in any forum and has ensure secrecy about finances of the ERWAT. We therefore demand that :
1. We be involved in decision making structures
• Disbandment of the board and ERWAT to be integrated into Ekurhuleni Municipality.
The current board was wrongly appointed while the other old board was also wrongly disbanded and this has made it difficult for the institution to stabilize and promote good corporate governance. This was done by the Executive Mayor Ntombi Mekgwe who has wrongly appointed the current board and disbanded to the old board. The board of directors is supposed to be appointed by the council or mayoral committee if delegated by the council.
The unlawful disbandment of the board has not helped in the process of the appointment of the managing director (MD) because the Mayor has interfered with the appointment process of the MD by undermining the recommendation of the interview panel
There Mayor has no powers to disband or appoint without blessing from the council or even the mayoral committee.
Therefore we demand that:
1. All board members should resign with immediate effect
2. ERWAT be integrated into the Ekurhuleni Municipality by June 2010.
Conclusion
The time has come that you realize that public institutions cannot be turned into private arrangements between and amongst members of management, the board and the Executive Mayor. For too long ERWAT was made a tuck shop, all corrupt activity should be investigated by an independent audit firm.
For further comment contact SAMWU Ekurhuleni Branch Secretary Koena Ramotlou on (011) 815 3586 or 073 254 9394.
Issued by;
Tahir Sema.
South African Municipal Workers' Union of COSATU.
National Media and Publicity officer.
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Worker's News April 2008 PART 1 (514)
