Fear lessl y the tr uth
GTM warned
24 Februarie 2012
Francois Aucamp
francois@bulletin.us.com
A major showdown between the Greater Tzaneen Muni-
cipality and the local members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) seems to be inevitable — and Samwu, the biggest trade union movement in the GTM, is preparing for a huge battle over low wages of the workers. In what is a clear ultimatum, Samwu said in a statement issued to the Bulletin on Wednesday that they demand immediate action. If the GTM does not react to their demands, the members will start with industrial action. The Samwu statement reads as follows: ‘The management of Greater Tzaneen Municipality has unilaterally implemented the wage curve system which has impacted negatively on the salaries of employees. It has been our contention that the job evaluation and wage curve agreement was disputed by labour in the Bargaining Council and it is now before the Labour Court for a
Pay us more or else...
decision. ‘However, contrary to a council resolution not to implement the agreement pending the outcome of an appeal into the categorization of the municipality, management has proceeded to implement the wage curve system. ‘Due to such disregard for a council decision, the GTM as one of the biggest municipalities in Limpopo has become one of the lowest paying in the country. This has led to low morale and anger amongst the employees in the municipality. But to our surprise, the top management of the
Verkeerschaos is ons voorland in Tzaneen Die verkeerswanorde en ongehoorsaamheid van motoriste in Tzaneen neem nou vinnig toe. Dit blyk dat die GTM geen verkeersplan het nie en die misbruik van die dorp deur swaar vragmotors wat die R71 deur die dorp vermy, neem nou al byna krisis afmetings aan. Dinsdagmiddag pas na uitvaltyd-spitsverkeer het ‘n vragmotor wat nuwe motors vervoer, ewe in die rybaan by die besigste kruising in die dorp gestop, om ‘n nuwe motor vir ‘n handelaar af te laai. Hy kon ewe maklik in die straat waarin die handelaar is, gestop het. Intussen vertrap swaar vragmotors saans die nuwe randstene langs die R71 waar die pad voor die nuwe Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre en die Sasol R71 onlangs nuut gebou is. Hulle staan dan halflyf in die pad, terwyl die bestuurders slaap of inkopies doen, by die wegneemrestaurant daar naby. In die sakekern ontwrig swaar vragmotors deesdae die verkeer daagliks, terwyl die strate erg verniel word. Waarheen is ons op pad?
R3
municipality is being paid very high salaries at the expense of the ordinary workers who are receiving peanuts. In fact management is quick to resolve their salary disparities but they are not interested to do same to ordinary workers. ‘The workers are now demanding that the municipality must immediately stop the implementation of the wage curve system, revert back to the previous levels system and benchmark in order to resolve the crisis of salary disparities amongst the employees. ‘Samwu has tried on several occasions to engage management on these matters and unfortunately we have reached a deadlock. We are therefore left with no option but to prepare to fight for the rights of workers. Samwu is therefore going to urgently declare a dispute with the SA Local Government Bargaining Council and also approach the Labour Court for an urgent interdict. ‘We are also planning marches and lunch time picketing to force management to accede to the workers’ demands. ‘This would ultimately lead the workers to an industrial action which will affect service delivery in the municipality. This is the last option of the workers. We therefore believe the leadership of the municipality will come to the party in order to resolve the issue amicable to avert the strike,’ Samwu says in their statement. Bulletin tried to obtain comment from the municipal manager, Ms Conny Mametja, on Wednesday night, but she did not answer her telephone. We left a message for her to call us, but we did not hear from her before going to press.
DA piets ANC oor poste in GTM-raad Die ANC in die Groter Tzaneen Munisipaliteit se raad het twee gevoelige dwarsklappe van die DA gekry, wat bevestig dat hul gereelde afknouery van die opposisie, veral die DA, nie sitosito aanvaar gaan word nie. Drie weke gelede het die LUR vir plaaslike bestuur opdrag gegee dat die ANC-meerderheid ‘n DA-lid in die uitvoerende komitee (Exco) móét opneem, nadat hulle aanvanklik geweier het. Pas moes die ANC-raad ook bes gee en me Anza van Vuuren as ‘n lid van die raad se sogenaamde MPAC-komitee — wat oor die raad se finansies moet waak — aanstel. Die DA het haar benoem, veral omdat sy ‘n kursus hieroor deurloop
het, maar die ANC het leedvermakerig besluit dat me Margo McNiel in die pos moet dien. Die DA se koukusleier in die stadsraad, me René Pohl, het die speaker van die raad verlede week gewaarsku dat die ANC-hoofsweep se optrede in dié verband onaanvaarbaar en buite die reëls was, waarop nou aanvaar is dat Van Vuuren in die pos sal dien. Dit blyk dat onkunde oor sy pligte en verantwoordelikhede een van die hoofsweep se groot probleme is. Hy was nog verlede jaar ‘n gunsteling om deur die ANC as burgemeester aangewys te word, maar hy het glo by premier Cassel Mathale in onguns verval.