GroundUp reports that Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal workers will finally get their long-service back-pay bonuses.  

On Friday, the city’s coalition government unanimously supported a motion to fork out about R44 million and pay the workers, who had embarked on a week-long strike last month under the banner of municipal unions Samwu and Imatu.  Samwu’s Mqondisi Nodongwe commented:  “It’s victory to the workers.  This is what we fought for.  We are happy that all parties supported the motion … The agreement signed is saying that the money must be paid before 15 July.  We expect that this will happen as council decisions are implemented immediately.”  Workers are expected to be paid R10,000, R16,000 or R21,000, depending on the years they have worked.  Executive Mayor Athol Trollip stated:  “This coalition government has actually been able to resolve the impasse that has been there for decades.  It didn’t start post the 3 August 2016 by-elections.”  He, however, expressed much disquiet about the intimation and vandalisation of property that had occurred during the strike.

• Read this report by Thamsanqa Mbovane in full at GroundUp

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