The Citizen reports that the arbitrator in the wage dispute in the municipal sector issued his arbitration award on Tuesday and ruled in favour of the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu).  

Effectively, the ruling means that for the current financial year (2018-19) all employees will receive a salary increase of 7% backdated to 1 July 2018; employees earning R9,000 a month or less will receive an additional increase of 0.5% from 1 October 2018; and the minimum wage, the housing allowance and the maximum medical aid employer contribution will also increase by 7%.  Although technically the award is binding on essential services employees only, all parties have already agreed to convert the award into a collective agreement that would cover all employees in the sector.  Imatu said it had already forwarded a draft collective agreement to the other parties (SA Municipal Workers’ Union and the SA Local Government Association) in order to commence the process for concluding the collective agreement.

• Read a report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen
• Read Imatu’s press statement at Imatu News
• Access the arbitrator’s ruling at here

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page