The Buffalo City Metro faces the threat of another crippling strike after the SA Municipal Workers’ Union accused the municipality of acting in bad faith by failing to implement a key labour agreement.
The agreement, aimed at resolving a long-running expanded public works programme (EPWP) jobs dispute, was reached three months ago.
However, last week the union accused the municipality of negotiating in bad faith, saying it could not rule out the possibility of another strike.
Samwu alleges that BCM has delayed the establishment of a committee tasked with investigating claims that some EPWP workers were unfairly excluded from permanent employment in 2019.
The committee was a key resolution of an agreement reached in September between the metro and unions after a previous strike.
It was agreed that the committee — made up of representatives of BCM management, Samwu and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) — would be established within 20 days.
The committee had been expected to hold its first meeting by the first week of December and submit a report to council at its first sitting in January.
In 2019, the BCM council resolved to permanently employ 200 EPWP workers across the municipality’s 50 wards.
The workers were to be appointed on an annual package of R222,957 each, adding about R44m to the municipality’s wage bill.
However, Samwu maintains that the resolution has not been implemented and alleges that some eligible workers were removed from the list and replaced.
Samwu regional secretary Yoliwe Govuza said on Thursday that the agreed timelines were unlikely to be met because of what she described as BCM’s dishonesty.
“We are very disappointed with BCM. Seemingly they were not negotiating in good faith, for the best interest of the workers and the community that we are serving,” Govuza said.
“There is even a council resolution that said this thing must happen, and they were given 20 days.
“Up until today we are having sleepless nights from calls by workers demanding an update. There’s no direction.”
She said union representatives had approached both the office of acting city chief financial officer Bob Naidoo and the human resources department.
“They have been dilly-dallying,” she said.
Some of them are dying while waiting for permanent employment. Others have been working in municipal toilets since 2016 earning peanuts.
— Samwu regional secretary Yoliwe Govuza
Govusa further accused the city of employing new temporary workers while failing to prioritise EPWP workers who were meant to be absorbed permanently.
“Some of them are dying while waiting for permanent employment. Others have been working in municipal toilets since 2016 earning peanuts.
“Some have died, others have moved elsewhere,” she said.
“The number that is going to be absorbed is not even that huge, but the municipality is frustrating us, as a union.”
Govusa said a scheduled meeting of shop stewards to discuss the issue had been postponed and warned that industrial action could not be ruled out.
“Yesterday we were meant to meet as shop stewards for a way forward, but because it is this time of the year, people had other commitments,” she said.
“The issue of a strike — I don’t know. We will get a directive from our superiors.”
However, Imatu branch secretary Siyanda Yamba said the union understood that the local collective agreement was being implemented, though some resolutions were still in progress.
BCM DA councillor Anathi Majeke expressed concern over Samwu’s allegations and the potential threat of further labour unrest.
“The threat of another strike is a direct consequence of management’s inability to communicate effectively and adhere to agreed-upon timelines,” Majeke said.
“The residents of Buffalo City should not have to suffer further service delivery interruptions due to administrative delays and behind-closed-doors negotiations.”
The UDM’s leader in BCM, Anele Skoti, also accused the city of dishonesty.
“The city has recently taken approximately 30 people from each ward to work under solid waste management on a temporary basis, yet no-one is talking about the absorption of EPWP workers on a permanent basis,” Skoti said.
“Hunger is another obstacle for our people because they will take anything that is put on the table by the municipality.
“Since the conference, the mayor is ruling with an iron fist against the other faction.”
In October, the BCM council approved a R29m payment to restore what it described as “harmonious relations” with workers after the last strike.
As part of the settlement, the city agreed to pay R6,000 to each of more than 4,800 organised workers from an ex-gratia hardship relief fund.
City manager Mxolisi Yawa said at the time the payment formed part of a collective agreement reached through the local labour forum.
Govusa said the payment was not linked to the unresolved disputes that triggered repeated strikes earlier this year.
“We didn’t go to the streets for R6,000; we are not that cheap,” she said.
“Everything we have fought for since April has not been implemented.”
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile had not responded to questions by the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
