COSATU Gauteng welcomes the dismissal of the exemption application by the City of Tshwane from the collective agreement between the City and the South African Municipal Workers Union(SAMWU)

12 September 2023

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng welcomes the ruling by the South African Local Government Bargaining Council of dismissing the exemption from a collective bargaining implementation by the City of Tshwane. COSATU is vindicated that the refusal by the City of Tshwane to implement the collective agreement claiming poverty was far-fetched and politically motivated.

The ruling and the reasons advanced by SALG Bargaining Council that the City was bankrupt was not sufficient to grant exemption is proof that the City was playing political games with the lives of impoverished workers. The City of Tshwane is called upon to implement the 3.5% for the previous year and the current 5.4% owned to workers within the next 24 hours, failure to which will leave COSATU with no further option but to mobilize workers in Tshwane to confront the City head on.

We have witnessed over the past eight weeks of impasse between the city and its workers that the DA led coalition does not care about service delivery and the wellbeing of its citizens, the majority of them being the working class. COSATU in Gauteng reiterates its position to defend collective bargaining and the hard end rights of workers and the City Tshwane is not exempted from this fight.

COSATU commends and congratulates its affiliate, the South African Municipal Workers Union(SAMWU) for its resilience in defending its members till the very end.

Issued by Amos Monyela, Provincial Chairperson, COSATU Gauteng Province, 12 September 2023