Tshwane given 10 days to implement salary hikes

The wage hike agreement was struck in 2021.

Workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) took to the streets this week to demand the implementation of the agreement with the cash-strapped metro.

The city, which claims it doesn’t have the money to pay the salary hikes, has been ordered to implement the increases within 10 days.

In a statement, Samwu said the compliance order, which was issued on 27 July, comes after it wrote to the SALGBC to enforce the collective agreement.

The order directs the City of Tshwane to pay workers’ increases as follows; Salary increase of 5.4% effective from 1 July 2023, increase of minimum wage to R9531.54, homeowners’ allowance be increased to R1011.77, all linked benefits and conditions of service to be increased by 5.4% effective from 1 July 2023.

"As SAMWU, we are pleased that the SALGBC has acted and protected collective bargaining and stopped the attempts by the City to reverse the gains made by workers and for workers,” the union said in a statement on Thursday.

"Should council fail to ensure that the administration complies with the order, it will be complicit and enablers of the administration in denying workers their salary increases for the second time in three years.

"We will, as a union, be monitoring the implementation of this order while also continuing the fight for the implementation of the 2021 3.5% salary increase, which the city failed to implement."

Mayoral spokesperson Sipho Stuurman said the compliance order is procedural. 

"The compliance order is procedural, trigged by non-payment of increases. Does not preclude an exemption application being made by the city. As the mayor’s statement stated, we will put our case in detail to the SA Local Government Bargaining Council."

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