SAMWU Post-CEC Press Statement
06 March 2015
The South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) held a fruitful Special Central Executive Committee (CEC) on the 5th and 6th March 2015 at the Pavilion Hotel, Durban. The meeting robustly engaged on agenda items and continued to set the tone for the union with a show of unity and cohesion.
This media briefing is called to give an update on the following items
1. SAMWU CEC outcomes
2. COSATU
3. Salary and wages negotiations
4. Reavaya and JRA Strike
1. SAMWU CEC
This is the first CEC of the year and comes after December CEC which was to be held at this very venue was interdicted by SOS (Slaughter Our SAMWU). We congratulate Limpopo and North West provinces for having completed their provincial congresses. We further congratulate regions that have concluded their RSSC paving way for their respective provincial congresses. Before the end of this month we will have taken two more provinces to provincial congresses.
In line with our Bela-Bela and Mangaung National Congresses resolutions, our 12th National Congress will be held prior to that of COSATU. We have agreed that this year's congress should be held in KZN, NOBs will advise appropriately on the venue and exact dates. In the interest of ensuring that our Shopstewards are capacitated, we will be rolling-out mass Shopstewards education programmes.
We have noted that there are individuals who have defined themselves outside of the union and its constitution. Such individuals seek to destabilise the union. The CEC resolved that clause 5.4.3 of the constitution should be invoked and that such individuals should not eligible to contest as Shopstewards of the union. We further noted the refusal by some municipalities in particular those in Gauteng not to recognise our Shopstewards in their respective workplaces. The CEC confirms that the elections of these Shopstewards were free and fair and therefore confirms their election as SAMWU Shopstewards.
2. COSATU
We have noted with concern the current events unfolding at COSATU. We are not ashamed to report that contrary to media reports which sought divide the union, SAMWU had a full delegation to the COSATU CEC that was held on the 02 - 04 March 2015, this week. The union has never in any of its constitutional meetings resolved to boycott meetings of the Federation. The labour movement is under attack, employers are rejoicing wherever they are sited, celebrating that the COSATU that took them head-on is weakened. Unions in COSATU are also targeted by forces from both within and external. It is indeed saddening that in the midst of this weakness that workers would be the biggest losers and SAMWU is not prepared to make workers big losers by shouting from outside.
We are of the view that unions which are acting in the interest of the South African workers will see it fit to ensure that the gallant and militant federation of South African workers be restored to its former glory. It is for this reason that SAMWU believe that we cannot relegate ourselves to spectators within our own federation. We further believe that problems that unions have with COSATU can only be resolved through deliberation and engagement from within COSATU.
We plead to our sister unions within COSATU to reconsider their stance on boycotting meetings of the federation. No one will be able to influence decision making in COSATU while watching from afar through binoculars. We abide by democratic decisions of the federation and would not disown such decisions no matter how uncomfortable we are with them. We are also concerned that comrade Vavi decided to follow suit with the unions that decided to boycott the CEC, we view this as him having neglected his duties as COSATU General Secretary. Comrades should be principled and disciplined, democratic centralism should reign supreme and that individual emotions should not be massaged because workers will be big losers in the process. With the serious allegations bought against the General Secretary and the recent developments, we believe that he should be subjected to constitutional provisions.
We believe that there is no longer a need for a special national congress of COSATU as are convinced that these issues can be addressed properly from within COSATU ordinary National Congress.
3. Salary and Wage Negotiations
We have just concluded the first round of negotiations with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) the employer body that represents the country's 278 municipalities in the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC).
SALGA responded to the demands that were put forward by unions for bargaining. We are disappointed that SALGA is not negotiating in good faith and continues with the arrogant posture which it has been known to portray. SALGA does not want to concede to the demands by pleading poverty.
The employer further had the audacity to say that there are some workers who stay in the rural areas who should not get housing allowance because they are comfortable living in areas where there is no basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation. We view this as a spit in the faces of municipal workers who are dedicate in servicing the people of South Africa while they do not have the luxury of such services in their homes.
The employer has in the bargaining council expressed their dissatisfaction with SAMWU having exposed them for the manner in which they speak ill of municipal workers. If SALGA does not want to be quoted verbatim speaking ill of municipal workers, they should desist from making such irresponsible and moral weakening statements.
We firmly believe that municipal workers should be motivated by the employer to fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities. One way of doing this is by ensuring that workers are properly remunerated and appreciated for the sterling job that they are doing. The employer wants to blame the spike on service delivery protest on the part of municipal workers. The failure of municipalities to provide services to the people of South Africa should not be attributed municipal workers.
Service delivery protests have been about failure by municipalities to roll-out basic infrastructure, cutting of services of poor communities and corruption & fruitless expenditure.
We refuse to stand by and watch when our members are crucified for municipalities' failure to ensure that all South Africans benefit from the gains of democracy. Historically, South African municipalities provided services based on a racial criterion. The democratic dispensation has fortunately allowed for all South Africans to be recipients of quality provision of basic services without racial segregation.
We are disturbed that SALGA has relegated their inefficiency to run municipalities to municipal workers. We firmly believe without contradiction that our members have devoted their time and energy in ensuring that South Africa moves forward through the provisions of quality basic services.
The SALGA should bear in mind that for instance, if municipalities fail to provide a spade to a worker, such a worker cannot be blamed when a whole that needs to be dug is not, unless they expect workers to use their bare hands. We urge SALGA to ensure that they assist government in carrying out its mandate by ensuring that workers are given the tools of trade that they require to perform their duties.
The employer body insists on a 3 year agreement which consists of a 4.4% salary increase for the financial year 2015/16 average CPI plus 0.25% for the following two years. We are shocked that SALGA would even proposed such a ridiculous proposal for year 2015/16 of 4.4% which is way below inflation. National Treasury has forecasted inflation to reach 6.2% in 2015. This in essence, the employer's proposal means that the employer is proposing a negative salary increase of -1.8%.
We have been asked about the possibility of a strike should the employer not concede to our members' demands. We do not want to pre-empt the negotiation process by responding to this question. This was only the first round of negotiations and more rounds are expected to follow and we expect the employer to come the table with sober minds and discuss the real issues that workers are facing.
Experience has taught us that strikes are expensive not only to the employer but also to our members. Remember when there is a strike the no-work no-pay principle is applied, this means that our members would also feel the pinch of the strike. We are however sending a steering warning to SALGA that they should not tempt us.
Municipal workers refuse to be subjected to slave wages they too want a living and decent wage. Workers on the ground are ready to defend what they deserve. The employer should deceit from undermining municipal workers the people who are in the forefront of service delivery in the country. Not unless they really want to experience the full might of municipal workers.
SAMWU represents members in two bargaining councils which are SALGBC, Amanzi Bargaining Council (ABC) and Water Solutions South Africa (WSSA) which is a national forum. We are at an advanced stage of consolidating our members' demands to ABC while we have also submitted our demands to WSSA. The first round of negotiations with WSSA will be held on the 9th and 10th March. We will use the same no-nonsense approach we have used in the first round of negotiations in SALGBC.
Our demands to WSSA are as follows;
1. An across the board increase of R3 500 for employees employed at WSSA
2. A minimum wage of R9550
3. A single year salary and wage collective agreement
4. Employer contribution of 70% towards medical aid
5. Housing allowance of R1 500
6. Employer contribution of 18% towards pension and 8% by employees
7. Green and Blue Drop amount of R2250
8. R2 500 bonus for the first 5 years of service, increasing by the same amount for every 5 years of continuous service
9. 5 leave days for the first 5 years of service, increasing by the same amount for every 5 years of continuous service
4. Reavaya and JRA Strikes
We has noted the developments at Reavaya wherein workers have been dismissed by Piotrans and now the current strike by Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).
It has since come to our attention that workers were being misled by individuals who are not even leaders of the union. These individuals have used workers to achieve narrow political gains at the expense of workers' livelihoods. We are concerned that these individuals have further gone to an extent to misrepresent themselves as representatives of the union to the employer, the media and even worse to union members.
We have further noted that the employer has said that it is in the process of recruiting new drivers in order to restore services. We urge Piotrans to halt this process to allow us to engage our members on this issue, to hear the reasons why they went on strike in the first place and the recourse which they sought. SAMWU is their political home and as such the union would never desert them. We further apologies to members that the union name was used in this conniving deceit and make a commitment to ensure that all steps would be taken to correct this.
SAMWU national office is ready to assist workers on this matter, we are ready to listen to their issues and protect them from these dismissals. We believe that there is still time for us to intervene and get them back to work. We further urge our sister unions especially those in COSATU not to see this as an opportunity to recruit members to their fold.
Media report has indicated that a certain Dion Makhura has been misrepresented in the media as Johannesburg regional Chairperson. The union does not have a leader by such a name. This is the same individual who is responsible for the job losses of over 160 jobs at Reavaya and is now continuing with the same tactics at JRA. We are concerned that this may lead to further job losses. It is for this reason that we, in the interest of our members will intervene. We further urge our members not to be mislead by such individuals who are in fact founders of a fly-by-night trade union that has just mushroomed.
Statement issued by Walter Theledi, General Secretary, South African Municipal Workers' Union, March 6 2015
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