The City of Tshwane has noted the compliance order issued by the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) yesterday in which the City is informed of its non-compliance with certain clauses of the SALGBC Disciplinary Procedure Collective Agreement for failure to implement the final year of the three-year agreement on salary and wage increases to employees.
It is important to note that the recognised labour unions in the City – IMATU and SAMWU – were both informed in a recent meeting with the City Manager, Mr Johann Mettler, and at a subsequent Local Labour Forum (LLF) meeting that the City was unable to pay salary and wage increases due to its liquidity challenges.
The City made it abundantly clear that it was unable to implement salary and wage increases as it was unaffordable to do so and that the City was in the process of filing an application for exemption to pay the increases. The exemption application will be filed by 10 August 2023.
The Executive Mayor, Cllr Cilliers Brink, and the City Manager, Mr Johann Mettler, met with union representatives and addressed employees on the steps of Tshwane House today on the City’s position in respect of the payment of salary increases.
Mr Mettler cautioned the gathered employees to refrain from intimidating non-striking employees and expressed the view that he was confident and hopeful that all matters of dispute could be resolved.
The Executive Mayor expressed appreciation to the workforce and gave reasons why the City was unable to pay the increases.
“We need to improve the finances of the City. If we make sufficient strides in the collection of revenue and the workforce assists us in the fight against corruption, we will reconsider our position on the non-payment of salary and wage increases. This is not a shut door. Let’s work hard and stabilise our finances first,” said the Executive Mayor.