The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in KwaZulu-Natal will, through its Red Friday Campaign, embark on a solidarity visit to iMpendle Local Municipality and lead a protest picket and demonstration together with its affiliate, the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
This action is in response to the continued failure by iMpendle Local Municipality to comply with basic labour obligations, including the non-payment and late payment of workers’ salaries and benefits, poor working conditions, and persistent maladministration.
COSATU condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing suffering imposed on municipal workers, who are once again approaching another month without receiving their salaries, after months of repeated late payments and instability. This situation is unacceptable, inhumane, and constitutes a direct attack on the dignity of workers.
Workers cannot be expected to deliver services while they are being treated like disposable tools.
Workers at iMpendle Local Municipality are facing the following serious violations:
· Late payment of salaries for several consecutive months
· Non-payment of January salaries
· Shortage of tools of trade, which undermines service delivery
· Non-compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, including the failure to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
· Non-payment of statutory deductions and third-party contributions, including: UIF, SARS, COIDA, Pension Fund, Medical Aid, and Funeral and other insurance policies, resulting in lapsed benefits and loss of worker protection.
This crisis is not only financially devastating, it places workers and their families in unbearable hardship and strips them of the social protection they have paid for.
As COSATU we emphasise that this collapse does not only affect workers, it affects the entire community of iMpendle. When workers are unpaid and denied proper working tools, service delivery collapses.
The people of iMpendle are being subjected to unacceptable suffering. This municipality is effectively showing a middle finger to residents and voters who deserve accountable governance and reliable services.
A municipality that cannot pay workers cannot be entrusted with public funds.
COSATU notes that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has convened a meeting to address this matter. However, the problems persist, and this indicates either a failure of oversight or deliberate negligence.
We are asking ourselves a question who is protecting those responsible for this chaos? Why are workers made to pay the price for poor management and possible misuse of municipal resources?
This situation cannot be normalised and as COSATU KwaZulu-Natal we demand:
· Immediate payment of all outstanding salaries and benefits owed to workers.
· Full payment of all statutory deductions and third-party contributions, including UIF, SARS, COIDA, pension and medical aid funds.
· Urgent investigation into maladministration, financial mismanagement, and possible corruption at iMpendle Local Municipality.
· Consequences and disciplinary action against all officials and political office bearers responsible for this crisis.
· Provision of adequate tools of trade and PPE, and full compliance with health and safety regulations.
· Direct intervention by the Provincial Government, working urgently with National Treasury and the National Department of COGTA to stabilise the municipality and ensure workers are protected.
COSATU will not allow the exploitation and humiliation of municipal workers to continue. Workers are not beggars and salaries are not favours, but a legal obligation.
We further warn that continued failure to resolve this matter, COSATU will work with SAMWU for a full-blown mass action, as workers cannot be expected to carry a burden and starve for a faulty which is not theirs.
The struggle for workers’ dignity continues.
Issued by COSATU KwaZulu Natal
For Enquiries: Edwin Mkhize
082 399 7756 / 076 522 8839
edwin@cosatu.org.za