The South African Municipal Workers Union in Gauteng has expressed support for the government as it prepares to host the G20 Summit, while committing to intensifying its campaign to defend workers across municipalities in the province. The union said on Friday said recent developments in Johannesburg and Tshwane show progress after long periods of disputes over salary increases and the implementation of labour agreements.
The union said the signing of the Politically Facilitated Agreement in Johannesburg and the anticipated payment of the 3.5 per cent salary increase in Tshwane marked an important breakthrough for workers. Gauteng Provincial Secretary Mpho Tladinyane said the outcomes reflected the strength of organised labour and the importance of political commitment.
“The progress in Johannesburg and Tshwane shows what organised workers can achieve when there is political will to resolve long-standing issues,” Tladinyane said. He added that the union welcomed the role played by Premier Panyaza Lesufi in helping to address the disputes that had affected workers for months. “We appreciate the decisive role played by Premier Panyaza Lesufi in ensuring that municipal workers finally receive what was due to them,” he said.
The union said its members in Mogale City, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg had been working to ensure Gauteng is prepared to receive heads of state and international delegations arriving for the G20 Summit. Tladinyane said the union wished the government well for the summit. “Our members across the province are working tirelessly to ensure Gauteng is fully prepared to host world leaders for the G20 Summit,” he said.
The union said it hoped the final summit declaration would acknowledge the needs of local communities and the working class. “We trust that the G20 declaration will speak to the economic and social needs of workers and poor communities, so that global progress is felt at local level,” Tladinyane said.
According to the union, after progress was achieved in Tshwane and Johannesburg, its provincial leadership met with the provincial government and secured an undertaking to extend intervention efforts to other struggling municipalities. These include Ekurhuleni, West Rand municipalities and Sedibeng, with meetings expected within the next two weeks. Tladinyane said the intervention would focus on long-standing issues affecting workers. “We have secured commitments from the Provincial Government to extend interventions to struggling municipalities, and these engagements will continue in the coming weeks,” he said.
The union said the intervention process would address systemic challenges such as the capacity of municipalities to provide services, the cost of external attorneys used in disciplinary hearings, the proper grading and categorisation of West Rand municipalities, the protection of collective bargaining and outstanding issues affecting Metro Police officers in Ekurhuleni.
The union also warned workers about political forces it believes are acting against their interests. Tladinyane accused the Democratic Alliance of frustrating gains made by workers in municipalities where it governed. “We have noted the anti-worker posture of the Democratic Alliance in municipalities where it governs, and workers must remain vigilant,” he said.
Tladinyane said the union had repeatedly raised concerns about the conduct of the party in the metros it controlled. “For five years, the DA in these metros has undermined outcomes of collective bargaining, and SAMWU will continue defending every gain secured by our members,” Tladinyane said.
The union said it remained committed to protecting the interests of municipal workers and ensuring that all agreements reached through collective bargaining are implemented across all municipalities in Gauteng.
