ActionSA calls out DA in Tshwane over wage disputes

ActionSA has called out coalition run City of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink over how he and the Democratic Alliance have chosen to handle the ongoing wage strike.

CITY OF TSHWANE STRIKE CONTINUES

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For the last three months, striking municipal workers has brought the administrative capital to its knees as the municipality fails to adhere to a local bargaining council order to implement wage increases.

Repeatedly the City has pleaded poverty, cited its poor financial standing as the reason why it cannot implement the wage increase. However, they have failed to prove this and have had two exemption applications denied by the Bargaining Council.

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont, says that Brink’s refusal to renegotiate a deal with unions is a short sighted decision.

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“The dependence on the courts to solve this problem can only result in further instability over the years it will take to resolve this matter. Even from a financial standpoint, the referral of these matters to the Labour Court defers the matters for years but does not remove the contingent liability accruing”, says Beaumont.

SERVICE DELIVERY AFFECTED BY DISPUTE

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“Should a court find against the City, as the Bargaining Council already has, those salary increases will become immediately due with back pay over years – effectively crippling the City of Tshwane financially”, he adds.

Beaumont says that the party will continue to be unapologetic in calling their coalition partners as the ongoing strike is crippling the City.

“Erratic or non-existent refuse removal has turned many communities into dumps, bus services have ceased, customer care and building control centres have been intermittently closed and response rates to electricity and water outages and blocked sewer lines have been unreliable” lamented Beaumont.