Tshwane 'simply cannot afford' salary increases, says mayor
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink says the city’s dire financial state means it cannot afford to pay any salary increases to municipal workers.
Brink responded to a series of wildcat strikes by workers in the city.
The city has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, battling water supply issues, cable theft leading to power outages and structural fires.
In May 2023, the council approved a budget with a zero percent salary increase for both employees and councillors.
“We think that these wildcat strikes and stoppages are related to the fact that the city has not budgeted for salary increases in the present financial year. The fact is we would like to pay increases to our people to reward the hard work of our officials, but in our present financial situation, we simply can’t afford to,” said Brink.
“We are here to execute a rescue mission. We want to save the city from financial ruin so that we have the ability over time to improve services and ensure the financial sustainability of the city. We implore employees of the city to follow proper processes when registering grievances”.
The strike has impacted the city’s bus services, and commuters have been advised to make alternative transport arrangements.
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