TimesLive reports that the 130 City of Johannesburg employees who are under the threat of having their contracts terminated at the end of the month advised on Monday that they have referred their battle to remain employees to the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) for arbitration.

On Friday, the Labour Court interdicted the city from implementing a council resolution taken in February to terminate the contracts of the employees, pending the determination of the dispute referred by the employees last month to the SALGBC. The employees said their lawyers had on Monday referred the matter for arbitration at the SALGBC to correctly ventilate the matter on its merits and they went on to state: “As the matter is now formally before arbitration, which is in accordance with the labour court judgment on Friday, the affected employees urge the city to comply with the court order and not be in contempt.” The employees concerned were initially employed on fixed-term contracts. However, on 1 March 2021 in accordance with a decision of the mayoral committee on 25 February 2021, they received notices that their fixed-term contracts were to be converted to an indefinite term, meaning they became full-time employees. However, on 25 February this year, the council rescinded the 2021 decision to employ them permanently. It decided to convert their employment to a fixed term that would terminate on 30 April this year. The employees now want the municipality to be ordered to rescind that decision.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive
• Read too, Joburg Mayor Phalatse says staff issue not over yet for 130 “fired” employees, at The Star

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