SAMWU reaches settlement agreement with Amatole Water Board.

16 March 2022

SAMWU reaches settlement agreement with Amatole Water Board.

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has reached a settlement agreement with the Amatole Water Board following several grievances raised by workers at the water entity. Following a marathon of meetings between the union, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the water utility, parties agreed to end the impasse.

Accordingly, parties have agreed as follows;

1. That qualifying employees of Amatole will be paid a 13th cheque in line with the institution’s remuneration policy.
2. That in the interest of service delivery, a moratorium that was placed on the filling of vacancies be immediately lifted.
3. Given the governance failures at the institution, the appointment of a CEO and CFO will be prioritised and advertised in due course.
4. That the Department spearhead the appointment of an interim board of the water board.

As SAMWU, we are pleased with this agreement and believe that it will assist in returning stability and normalcy at the Water Board. Management of Amatole Water Board and the union have agreed that workers will be returning to duty and working hard to ensure that the backlog is cleared. We further take this opportunity to apologise to residents for the inconvenience that the impasse had on service delivery. We believe that this agreement signed will ensure that there is sound labour relations are maintained at the Water Board.

We lastly, we thank the Office of the Eastern Cape Premier, the COGTA MEC, Amatole management and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation for their unwavering support and determination in ensuring that the impasse at the in the interest of service delivery.

Issued by SAMWU Eastern Cape

Luzuko Yalezo
Provincial Secretary
(071 628 7586)

Or

Lorna Lubedu
Deputy Provincial Secretary
(071 900 5014)