SAMWU OBTAIN ARBITRATION AWARD AND A CERTIFIED VARIATION ORDER AGAINST MAKANA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY FOR NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF JOB EVALUATION OUTCOME
12 March 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAMWU OBTAIN ARBITRATION AWARD AND A CERTIFIED VARIATION ORDER AGAINST MAKANA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY FOR NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF JOB EVALUATION OUTCOME
When the matter of Job Evaluation Outcome was not implemented and the Management in Makana Local Municipality management took a selective implementation approach by excluding SAMWU members as a result of favouritism by management. South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in Makana Local Municipality leadership in consultation with its members decided to take the matter to South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC).
On 5th November 2025, SAMWU obtained Arbitration Award in its favour. Management was served and informed about the Award and decided not to implement the award despite given a directive to implement by 1 December 2025 and yet again Management failed to implement the job evaluation outcome.
Management was engaged but yet such efforts fell on deaf ears. As the matter involved the livelihood of SAMWU members was affected and their work moral disrupted, SAMWU leadership in consultation with its members decided to approach the SALGBC yet again for a variation order for the inclusion of calculations in the Arbitration Award, dated 05 December 2025.
The variation was unopposed by the municipality and subsequently, on the 9th February 2026, a Variation Award was granted in favour of SAMWU. Numerous correspondence was addressed to the management seeking compliance and implementation of the awards and yet again not surprisingly, management did not respond and did not implement.
In protection of employee’s rights, SAMWU leadership in consultation with its members took a decisive decision to have the Variation Award certified in terms of Section 143 of Labour Relations Act and indeed SAMWU approach CCMA to certify the Variation Award as a Court order and it was granted on the 4th of March 2026 and as usual Management was informed and served but did not implement.
On the 9th of March 2026, as final attempt, SAMWU approached the Sherrif of the High Court for the enforcement of the Variation Order by means Warrant of Execution through removal and attachment of municipal asset with a certified Variation award.
Any further deviation from the court order on the part of the Municipality shall constitute contempt of court, and we shall deal with it on that level.
SAMWU leadership in Makana will never allow its members to be victimized, exploited and underpaid as all workers are entitled to equal work and equal pay. It is unfortunate that SAMWU had to take this approach however it was necessary as a Council took a council resolution to implement Job Evaluation Outome in as far back as 2023 but Management lead by the Accounting Officer failed dismally to implement the council resolution and showed no respect by undermining the Highest Decision-Making Structure of the Municipality.
The administrators have not declared us as individuals at the Department of Employment and Labour till to date dispite numerous attempts from SAMWU to enforce the municipality to comply therefore the members have decided to take the matter to court for enforcement.
The Municipality has not adhered to the compliance order that was issued by Department of Employment and a fine that needed to be paid to DEL regarding the unlawful deductions that need to be paid back to workers. Yet again the management has failed dismally to address the findings by department to comply with Dept of employment. SAMWU Leadership mandated by its membership has decided to take the matter to court for enforcement.
Issued by SAMWU MAKANA LOCAL
Lindelwa Faltein Kate
Samwu Makana Local Secretary
069 590 2755
Or
Wandile Duruwe
Samwu Makana Local
Chairperson
079 737 7264