GroundUp reports that members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) downed tools on Tuesday after failing to reach an agreement with Buffalo City Metro Municipality (BCCM) over outsourced primary services.
Hundreds of Samwu members gathered outside the East London City Hall, closing off part of Oxford Street. In Mdantsane, workers blocked roads with burning tyres, and police used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse them. According to the trade union, municipal outsourcing has created a parallel labour force, with municipal employees facing job insecurity and a loss of benefits if forced to work for contractors. Other grievances include non-payment of incentives promised during the Covid pandemic; disparities in salaries for employees performing the same work in different areas; and the absorption of Public Works employees.
Samwu’s Siya Delanto indicated: “Services such as solid waste, water and sanitation, electricity, roads, and traffic lights are being outsourced.” He said attempts to standardise wages have been ongoing since 2015 without a resolution. Delanto said the strike would continue indefinitely until the municipality’s management responded to the grievances. BCCM issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns the disruptive and unlawful conduct” of SAMWU members, accusing them of burning municipal assets and dumping refuse and litter. It noted that while Samwu had been issued a certificate by the Bargaining Council authorising the strike, most of the issues were matters for centralised collective bargaining outside the jurisdiction of the municipality.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Johnnie Isaac at GroundUp
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