SAMWU WELCOMES CITY OF JOHANNESBURG BUDGET ADJUSTMENT AS A VICTORY FOR WORKERS
20 March 2026
SAMWU WELCOMES CITY OF JOHANNESBURG BUDGET ADJUSTMENT AS A VICTORY FOR WORKERS
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) notes and welcomes the passing of the City of Johannesburg adjustment budget which includes the implementation of the Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA), marking an important victory for municipal workers who have endured decades of wage injustice. This victory was not handed to workers, it was won through sustained organisation, resilience and sheer determination by our members.
We note that this progressive step was supported by parties including the ANC and the EFF. While other parties, including the DA and ActionSA, did not support the adjustment budget, it is important to emphasise that an adjustment budget is not limited to the PFA alone, but also addresses broader service delivery priorities, budget realignments and the operational needs of the municipality. Opposition to the adjustment budget therefore has implications that go beyond labour matters and touches on the municipality’s ability to respond to service delivery challenges facing communities.
SAMWU is particularly concerned by the continued posture of the Democratic Alliance, which has once again positioned itself in opposition to measures that seek to advance the interests of workers. This is consistent with its conduct in other municipalities, most notably in the City of Tshwane, where workers were subjected to prolonged disputes due to the refusal to implement wage agreements. The DA’s approach reflects a broader political position that places workers’ rights in conflict with service delivery, instead of recognising that workers are central to the delivery of quality services.
This development comes just a day after the conclusion of the union’s 13th National Congress which reaffirmed the union’s militant posture and resolved that all outstanding issues affecting workers will be confronted through mass mobilisation and struggle in the streets. As declared by Congress: We will organise; We will mobilise; and We will fight. The outcome in the City of Johannesburg demonstrates that sustained organisation and pressure remain critical in securing victories for workers.
For SAMWU, this moment represents an important step towards correcting historical salary disparities within the City. The Politically Facilitated Agreement is aimed at restoring fairness and ensuring that workers are not left behind in relation to their counterparts in other metropolitan municipalities.
At the same time, this development must serve as a political reminder to workers. The positions adopted by different political parties in this process provide a clear indication of where they stand on issues affecting workers. Municipal workers must remain clear about their class interests and the broader implications of political decisions taken within councils.
As the country approaches the upcoming local government elections, workers and their families must carefully consider these realities. A municipal worker’s wage sustains not only the individual worker, but often entire households and extended families. Any attempt to undermine workers’ gains therefore has direct consequences for communities. Workers must not forget the role played by the DA in opposing wage agreements and must take this into account when they go to the polls.
SAMWU further calls on the City of Johannesburg to ensure the effective and timeous implementation of the PFA. If the City is committed to its workforce and to building a stable administration, it must honour the commitments it has made and ensure that workers receive what is due to them.
Importantly, we congratulates all our members in the City of Johannesburg for waging this noble struggle and for the confidence they have placed in the union to lead it to this point. We remain commitment to defend the rights and dignity of municipal workers and will continue to organise, mobilise and fight in defence of all gains achieved through struggle and negotiation.
Issued by SAMWU Gauteng
Mpho Tladinyane,
Provincial Secretary,
(083 941 5888)
Or
Julia Phakula,
Deputy Provincial Secretary,
(083 717 0898)