Samwu considers strike after failed negotiations with bargaining council

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) on Friday said it was considering strike action after negotiations in the South African Local Government Bargaining Council officially collapsed.

The union said the negotiations took a turn after Samwu and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union received an offer.

The bargaining council proposed, among others, a three-year wage agreement and for the minimum wage to increase only in line with salaries.

However, Samwu’s demands include a single-year salary and wage agreement, a R4,000 salary increase, and a housing allowance.

The union will now write to the bargaining council to declare an official dispute.

Samwu’s Dumisane Magagula said: “The attitude of the employer in these negotiations has always been that they have drawn a line. They have from the very onset told us that we are not going to get substantive increments. So, we are very disappointed that at a time like this, municipal workers have now, in other words, been told to go and fight for their increase in the streets. Our sneakers are ready and we will go and fight in the streets.”

-EWN

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