SAMWU TO MARCH IN DEFENCE OF WORKERS, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND PUBLIC SERVICES
6 July 2026
SAMWU TO MARCH IN DEFENCE OF WORKERS, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND PUBLIC SERVICES
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) will embark on a National Day of Action in the form of a march to National Treasury, COGTA, SALGA and the Department of Water and Sanitation on 9 July 2026. Members and workers will gather at the Old Putco Depo in Marabastaad Tshwane, where they will march and deliver the memorandum of demands to these entities at the National Treasury offices.
This march is held in line with the mandate of SAMWU’s 13th National Congress and represents the voice of more than 160 000 workers organised in municipalities and the water sector.
SAMWU is marching because local government and the water sector are in crisis. Municipalities and water boards are being weakened by underfunding, collapsing infrastructure, corruption, outsourcing, consultants, privatisation, non-payment of salaries and benefits, and the continued undermining of collective bargaining.
Workers are not the cause of this crisis. Workers are the backbone of service delivery. They are the ones who keep water flowing, waste collected, roads maintained, electricity services running and communities served, often without proper tools of trade, safe working conditions or the respect they deserve.
Through this march, SAMWU will demand, among others, the review of the Local Government Equitable Share formula, an increase of the local government share of nationally raised revenue to at least 15%, an end to National Treasury interference in collective bargaining, the implementation of the City of Johannesburg PFA, the conclusion of the Wage Curve Agreement, and the protection of workers, shop stewards and whistleblowers.
SAMWU will also demand an end to outsourcing, tenderisation and the excessive use of consultants, particularly when municipalities are spending billions on consultants while communities continue to suffer poor service delivery and workers are denied tools of trade and benefits.
The Union further rejects the National Treasury and COGTA Business Units project, the attempted takeover of municipal electricity distribution through Distribution Agency Agreements, and load reduction that punishes the poor and the working class.
SAMWU will also call on water boards to honour collective agreements and on the Department of Water and Sanitation to intervene against rogue executives who victimise workers and undermine organised labour.
This march is a call to defend workers, defend collective bargaining, defend public services and rebuild local government and the water sector in the interests of communities.
SAMWU will deliver a memorandum of demands and expects a written response within 14 working days.
Workers have waited long enough and as resolved by our 13th National Congress, we will organise; we will mobilise and, we will fight!
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
Dumisane Magagula,
General Secretary,
(076 580 4029),
Sam Lekhuleni,
Deputy General Secretary
(082 526 6639)
or
Papikie Mohale,
National Media Officer
(076 795 8670)