Municipal workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said they were being stripped of their dignity as they, once again, stretched calls for a wage increase.
The union led a march to the African National Congress’s (ANC) Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Thursday to call for an immediate solution to the many issues faced by public servants.
Their demands included an end to the outsourcing of municipal services, salary increments, and an end to corruption, stressing that the privatization of services by municipalities left them in fear of losing their jobs.
The union urged Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi to intervene in addressing their demands as they accused municipalities of dismissing their concerns.
Municipal workers cited the ever-rising cost of living and the ailing South African economy as enough reason for the government to implement a wage increase.
“It is difficult for us to live in this society. People think it’s good working for the municipality, but we can’t even see that,” said one worker.
“Things are increasing at a rapid rate, but our salaries are either stagnant or just fractionally increasing,” bemoaned another.
“Taxi fares are going up, food is going up, but our salaries are not going up. So, this means we are going to run on a loss,” another explained.
LESUFI RESPONDS TO WORKERS: ‘OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER SERVICES’
Workers, however, celebrated after Gauteng Premier Lesufi assured them that the provincial government was committed to addressing the issues faced by public servants.
The premier promised to meet with the leaders of municipalities in hopes to establish a solution that would resolve their issues.
“On Tuesday, I am going to instruct all mayors and municipal managers to come to my office. Our mission is to deliver services and it must be done by workers that are happy. If there is a problem, we must sit on a table to negotiate, reach, and implement the agreements.”
-EWN
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