SAMWU DISMAYED BY UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES BY WATERGERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
6 August 2025
SAMWU DISMAYED BY UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES BY WATERGERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union in Waterberg Local District Municipality is very dismayed and angered by the unfair labour practice that is being done by the Waterberg District Municipality which manifest itself as down right slavery and victimisation of workers.
This unfair labour practice and victimisation manifest itself in the following ways:
1. The Employer withdrew leave encashment for workers against the spirit and the latter of the Limpopo divisional collective agreement providing for that aspect on a contractual to holder basis.
2. The Employer has also unilaterally altered or changed the terms and conditions of Workers in the fire and Emergency services section without express consultation with workers making them to work two shift system (07H00 –15H00 and 15H00 – 23H00) whilst leaving a shift between 23H00 – 07H00 un-attended.
3. Management is victimising workers for late coming and absenteeism, but they sometimes fail to come to work to the frustration of their subordinate’s
What is even more disheartening is that workers are charged for misconduct on the shift whilst they are off duty. The Employer also issued two memos to our members dated 27 March 2024 and 17 July 2025 intimidating and harassing our members and forcing them to work standby duty creating an atmosphere of fear amongst our vulnerable workers.
SAMWU is particularly enraged by the manner in which the Leadership of the institution both Council and Management which borders on obfuscation, refusal to bargain, non co-opoeration and downright absence to solve this problem since two consecutive Local labour Forum meetings which were called specifically to deal with this issue were postponed.
This represent a glaring textbook case of maladministration since there is a shift which is unattended and management does not come up with a solution whilst employees have through their union SAMWU recommended a solution which the Employer does not want to engage through the local Labour forum.
It should be trite that SAMWU Waterberg will be having its meeting on the 07 August 2025 to report to its members and to receive much needed mandate to lodge disputes with the SALGBC on refusal to bargain and unilateral change of terms and conditions of employment.
SAMWU will however wish to reiterate its commitment to work very hard to assist the municipality to restore order and normalcy in the institution in service of the working class and the poor and we call for urgent Local Labour forum meeting to bargain.
Issued by SAMWU Waterberg District Municipality
Margaret Aphane
Local Secretary
072 772 6438