Implementation of collective agreement ‘already underway’ Phalatse tells municipal workers

This comes after municipal workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) gathered outside the Johannesburg city council building in Braamfontein on Friday, demanding to discuss their unhappiness with Phalatse over what they believe to be unfulfilled wage promises.

The workers had initially taken to the streets on Thursday, closing off the busy M1 and causing delays to the flow of traffic.

They are demanding that the salary disparities between workers are resolved in line with an agreement reached in April 2016.

Speaking to the workers outside council on Friday, Phalatse gave an assurance that the implementation process had already begun.

"The Politically Facilitated Agreement is a collective agreement that the city entered into with the South African Municipal Workers Union in April of 2016 and its main objective was to try and address the salary disparities that exist throughout the city of Johannesburg, due to budget constraints, it was only partially implemented.

“But on 19 August this year, the city under the Joburg multi-party government signed an agreement with both Samwu and the Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union (Imatu) agreeing to proceed with the continuation of the full implementation of the PFA.

“Now, according to this agreement the implementation will be in phases and in spite of budget constraints. The first payment has already been made. It was made on the 1st of September this year and the city will continue to engage both unions on how quickly the other phases can be implemented," said Phalatse. 

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