SAMWU Limpopo update on salary increases and compliance with covid-19 regulations

August 17, 2023 adminPress

05 August 2020

Lephalale Violating Lockdown rules

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has received shocking information regarding the reckless suspension of 14 employees of on Friday 31 July 2020 by the Lephalale local municipality for a matter bordering on confusion relating to implementation of lockdown regulations as well as delivery of services whilst unilaterally withholding their salary increment in violation of collective agreement.

This is done whilst the municipality had experienced a surge in COVID 19 cases within which has put employees under tremendous pressure and stress amid existential violation of occupational health and safety and COVID 19 related occupational risk mitigation strategies.

SAMWU would like to call on the municipality leadership to re-instate the 14 suspended employees with immediate effect since the matter was resolved on the 22 July 2020 and employees were able to continue to provide services since matters of COVID 19 do not have precedence and cannot be used to victimise employees based on misunderstanding and or misapplication of rules as they relate to COVID 19.

Salary Increase

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) in Limpopo province has noted that the Municipalities such as Polokwane, Lephalale and Molemole have either on omission or commission decided not to implement the salary increment due to municipal workers at the end of July based on some flimsy excuses and commitment to pay the increases at the end of August 2020 robing Municipal workers within their employ of their deserved increases.

It should be noted that the reckless behaviour of Municipal leadership of Polokwane, Lephalale and Molemole has not gone unnoticed by our union and have clearly communicated our displeasure in our meeting with Salga Limpopo Administrators on the 31 July 2020 as it was confirmed by SALGBC that National Treasury is not party to collective agreement in the sector and has no business instructing municipalities not to implement such increases.

SAMWU also like to call upon the municipality of Musina to abandon their misguided threat to deduct the 6.25% increase it implemented this month and continue to pay those workers whilst also calling upon Capricorn District Municipality, Lepelle Nkumpi and Modimolle Mookgphong to factor the requisite 6.25% on other benefits such as
Medical aid and pension funds.

Lawyers in Disciplinary Hearings

SAMWU is also distressed by the continuing usage of lawyers for internal disciplinary cases which is at variance with clause 7.6 and 7.7 of the Disciplinary procedure collective agreement read with section 31 (a) of the labour relations act. We view the actions of municipalities to continue using lawyers as pure corruption, thievery and amount to irregular expenditure in the face of limited resource capabilities.

SAMWU has agreed with SALGA administrative leadership in the meeting on the 31 July 2020 to work together to hold accountable those who continue this blatant theft of public resources through usage of lawyers in internal disciplinary cases in municipalities such as Mopani, Molemole, Polokwane.

Auditors General Reports

SAMWU has noted the results of Auditor’s General reports for 2018/2019 in its provincial Office bearers ‘s Meeting and noted the following;

• The marginal improvement in the audit outcomes of Limpopo municipalities and Congratulate Capricorn District municipality for being the only Municipality in Limpopo to receive a clean audit.
• Note the Improvement of Waterberg District, Makhuduthamaga,Vhembe District Mopani District and Collins

Chabane Local Municipality

• Note the regression of Sekhukhune District, Elias Motsoaledi and Ephraim Mogale local municipalities.
• Samwu also note the impact of R1.2 Billion loss from municipalities through VBS collapse

The union has noted the mixture of both regressions and improvements and will canvass its attitude through its structures whilst continuing to monitor the consolidation and sustenance of those improvements and continuing to speak against regressions.

Suspension of Mr Machaba by Capricorn District Municipality

SAMWU has noted the unfortunate remarks of Capricorn District Municipality Local Chairperson Cde Simon Makosho who on behalf of Samwu indicated that Mr Machaba was suspended for daring to stand for the chairpersonship of Peter Mokaba Region against the sitting incumbent Cde John Mpe whilst also alluding to the victimisation of MMC Kgatla , Councillor Nomonde and Charlie Thaba.

We would like to put on record that Mr Mahcba is not our member whilst Mr Thaba did not report to the union his victimisation as an employee of Capricorn as well as that all councillors mentioned above are not our members and it would be very prudent for us to distance ourselves from their disagreement with their principal. The other unfortunate part would have been to confirm the candidacy of Mr Machaba for the ANC regional conference which is not helpful to our political reputation as well as our class character as a union.

SAMWU would like to apologise to the ANC community of Peter Mokaba region for the unfortunate manner in which the name of the union was used to create an impression of our complicity in the intra political and council senior manager disciplinary crisis which we are not party to.

SAMWU in Limpopo is not politically naïve and or class neutral organisation and is conscious that the ruling class cannot be final arbiters in their own disengagement from power but to support councillors and Senior managers against an ANC led institution based on regional conference would be to take matters of our ideological confusion too far off the mark.

We also want to confirm that is was also unfortunate for the municipality to outsource their responsibility to the ANC on matters that were plainly internal within the Capricorn district municipality by requesting ANC regional spokesperson Cde Mathole Machaka to respond on their behalf.

Issued by SAMWU Limpopo

Patrick Aphane
Provincial Secretary
076 785 9022