Municipal workers strike over Covid-19 danger pay

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Essential workers at the George Municipality went on strike on Friday and Monday, 4 and 7 June, demanding danger payment for working during the Covid-19 lockdown, over and above their full monthly salaries already received.

According to municipal communications chief Chantel Edwards-Klose, the workers are demanding R20 000 per person for a period of nine months.

This totals R64-million.

It was an unprotected strike that began after the workers did not want to accept two days additional paid leave offered by the municipality instead of the danger pay. When workers began picketing at the entrance to the main municipal building on Friday, members of municipal management met with the union leaders, but no agreement was reached.

On Monday, Edwards-Klose said in a statement the procedures for a legal strike include referring a dispute to the Bargaining Council and allowing for a period of 30 days to afford parties an opportunity to resolve it.

"The intention to strike should be submitted to the employer with 48 hours' notice, which has not happened. George Municipality will not tolerate illegal action, and as such will adopt a 'no work, no pay' stance as well as implementing procedures for dismissal where applicable," she said.

SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) chairperson Mfundo Mthamo on Monday said they will embark on a legal strike next week.

Refuse removal was affected on the two days and the main municipal building was closed to the public on Friday.

One of the picketers, Siswe Matiwane, said his department (refuse removal) lost one older person during lockdown who should not have been working given his age. "The municipality did not care about our safety and we have been waiting for a year for our Covid pay."

Would require rate increases

Edwards-Klose said the work for which the workers are demanding danger payment are their standard tasks as per their job descriptions. Their demand cannot be met, given the losses and financial impact of Covid-19 on the municipality.

"The payment of R64-million would essentially financially cripple the municipality at a time when there are huge infrastructure demands for the city and place the burden directly on the public in the form of additional rate increases."

She said allegations by some strikers that R20-billion was paid out by National Government for Covid-19 relief to local municipalities are untrue.

The only funds received during Covid-19 lockdown came from provincial government during the hard lockdown, and entailed R1-million for the provision of food parcels to affected residents, and R500 000 for the supply of chemical toilets.

"No other financial support was given to George Municipality and the onus for the purchase of all protective equipment, etc. for staff was undertaken by the municipality using own funding," she said.

"Given the financial impact of Covid-19 on our local economy, the management of the municipality also deems the demand unreasonable as all municipal workers retained their full salaries at a time when many private sector employees had their salaries either reduced or in fact lost their jobs.

"The municipal workers also received annual bonuses, which many workers in the private sector did not receive."

The administration has offered the workers two additional days of paid leave, subject to approval from Council.

"The unions are expected to follow the correct procedures should they wish to oppose the offer. No dispute has been referred to the Bargaining Council in the matter and neither has a certificate of non-resolution been issued."

Strikers gathered at the entrance to the main municipal building on Friday and the offices were closed to the public. Photos: Alida de Beer