Strike on the cards as Samwu, Rand Water fail to reach wage agreement
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has failed to reach an agreement with Rand Water at Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
The union’s Gauteng provincial secretary Bafana Zungu says they were given a certificate of non-resolution and the right to strike after Rand Water failed to propose any solution.
“On Wednesday there was a compilation at the CCMA, unfortunately, the Rand Water management whoever was representing, it is clear that he came unprepared as a result there was no settlement because there was no position that the employer was putting on the table.”
Samwu threatened to down tools last Wednesday, saying the strike would cut the water supply to about 15 million Gauteng residents.
The union is unhappy over several issues, including the non-payment of incentive bonuses.
Zungu says workers are angry that the water utility changed conditions of employment without prior consultations.
“We were provoked by management when they changed the conditions of employment without consulting the union, they were making the conditions of employment less favourable for the workers, no matter how hard you worked the incentives were taken away.
“Workers offered their labour without being compensated at the end of the day, at the current moment the only thing we are saying is for management to reverse what they have done.”
He says Rand Water has asked for a meeting to resolve the matter.
“We have received an invite from management requesting SAMWU to come and have a meeting to see if we can resolve an impulse before the 30th (Friday), we hope there will be a position at this time from management that the issues will be resolved going forward.
“Failure to that we will have no other option but to serve an employer with notice to say there is an indefinite strike at Rand Water until the employer comes with an amicable solution.”
ALSO READ
