Nyandeni municipal employees suspend strike after meeting mayor

Work resumed in Nyandeni local municipality on Wednesday after a two-day strike by angry municipal employees which brought services to a halt this week. According to the SA Municipal Workers’ Union deputy chair in Nyandeni, Mvuzo Mxenge, workers had decided to down tools over their unhappiness that several of their demands had not been met by municipality managers. Among their demands was the compensation of workers who had been injured on duty as well as overtime payments for employees who had worked during the festive season.

“Some people have been waiting for years for compensation after sustaining injuries while at work,” Mxenge said. “We also have people who worked when the municipality closed for December, and some in law enforcement, but have not yet been paid.” He said the workers had forwarded their demands to municipal manager Silulami Poswa and gave him seven days to respond. But after 14 days, he had failed to do so, leading to the two-day strike.

In their memorandum of demands shown to the Dispatch, the employees want: Mxenge confirmed meeting Nyandeni mayor Viwe Ndamase and Poswa on Tuesday, which had led to their decision to temporarily suspend their strike on Wednesday. The employer [municipality] upholds the principle of consultation in all matters, especially on labour issues as stipulated in the organisational right agreement In response, Poswa has requested the names of all the employees owed overtime pay for working during the festive season. He said the municipality was dealing with the 18 cases of municipal employees who had been injured on duty over the years.

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“A report was previously presented to the local labour forum,” he said. “The employer [municipality] upholds the principle of consultation in all matters, especially on labour issues as stipulated in the organisational right agreement.” He said a backup generator for Ngqeleni had already been delivered and was being installed. Meanwhile, spare parts for the generator at the traffic department had also been delivered and was ready for installation.

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