The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members protested against the DA's court application to block the R10 billion salary agreement between the union and the City of Johannesburg on Thursday.
Image: Itumeleng English Independent Newspapers
Many workers with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) are against the DA's request to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to stop the R10 billion salary agreement between municipal workers and the City of Johannesburg.
On Thursday, the workers protested outside the court over the DA's court application, which seeks to interdict the city from implementing the agreement that will see workers benefit from the R10 billion salary agreement concluded with the city.
The DA is arguing that the agreement could potentially plunge the city into a financial and service delivery crisis, alleging that this commitment to employees could threaten the municipality's economic stability.
The court challenge follows the DA having recently served the city with legal papers shortly after the council approved the adjustment budget.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members protested against the DA's court application to block the R10 billion salary agreement between the union and the City of Johannesburg on Thursday.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Speaking on behalf of the affected workers, outside court, MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, lamented the DA's legal challenge against 'struggling' municipal workers, among them cleaners and security personnel.
He stated that this deal is aimed at addressing pay disparities and improving service delivery in the metro, one of the biggest in the country.
"As the executive in the City of Joburg, we had taken a conscious decision after the agreement that was reached between the city and the workers that they needed to be graded correctly and paid at the level of their grading. That is what we are implementing. This is a fair process, and the workers deserve to be fairly compensated."
SAMWU Regional Secretary General in Joburg, Thobani Nkosi, slammed the DA, saying its court application is meant to further deepen the poverty and suffering of municipal workers.
"The DA was defeated in council, and now we are surprised, as they were the first people to implement the very same structure. Today, they are challenging this initiative, which has been properly calculated. In fact, we are not surprised as the DA has shown that they do not want workers to be fairly compensated, as they did the same in Tshwane, but their members are paid very well," Nkosi said.
Workers under the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) are demanding to be compensated fairly by the City of Johannesburg amid a court application to interdict the R10 billion wage deal with the metro.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
DA Federal leader and the party's mayoral candidate in Joburg, Helen Zille, moved swiftly to challenge the agreement, saying the passing of the adjustment budget by the Johannesburg City Council last week highlights the catastrophic risk to the city’s financial viability of the ANC’s political agreement with SAMWU.
"The agreement commits the city to paying SAMWU members more than R10 billion. This is more than the city’s entire annual budget for building new infrastructure to improve service delivery. This agreement between the ANC and its coalition partners with SAMWU is often referred to as a 'politically facilitated agreement' because its purpose is entirely political," Zille stated.
Sithembiso Zungu, MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, accused the DA of hypocrisy, saying: "The DA is being opportunistic in this regard. This is because this matter went to the council and dates back to 2016, when the agreement was signed off then. It passed the council vote, so we are surprised now to see the DA coming back and saying they are not in support of this agreement."
For a city that has been struggling to provide water and other services to the people, Zille is of the view that this is part of an attempt by the ANC-led City Council to loot the funds.
"In reaching this agreement, the ANC ignored the law and the city’s dire financial circumstances to buy political support. That is why we are seeking an urgent interdict to prevent the further looting of the city’s water and electricity budgets to fund the ANC’s election strategy," Zille added.
Athi Fihlani, an employee who lives in Ekurhuleni, said this money will go a long way in helping families survive the high cost of living.
"We are here fighting for what rightfully belongs to us, because we need this money. If they fail to release this money, we will continue to suffer. Some of us are struggling to make ends meet due to the high cost of living. We do not even have proper houses. As government employees who earn too little to afford proper housing, we find it difficult, as we are told that we earn too much to be afforded low-cost housing by the government."