Buffalo City municipal workers go on strike

Hundreds of South African Municipal Workers’ Union members march down Oxford Street in East London. Photo: Johnnie Isaac

• Hundreds of South African Municipal Workers’ Union members went on strike in Buffalo City Metro on Tuesday.
• SAMWU says the municipality is outsourcing primary services, including waste collection, water, sanitation and electricity and creating a parallel work force that enriches tenderpreneurs.
• The union’s other grievances include unpaid covid incentives, salary disparities between workers doing the same job, and Public Works workers not being absorbed into permanent jobs.
• The municipality condemned the strike and said many of the issues were beyond its jurisdiction to resolve.

Members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) downed tools on Tuesday after failing to reach an agreement with Buffalo City Metro Municipality (BCCM).

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.

SAMWU says municipal outsourcing has created a parallel labour force, with municipal employees fearing 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, such as East London and Qonce; and the absorption of Public Works employees.

SAMWU regional chairperson Siya Delanto said attempts to standardise wages have been ongoing since 2015 without a resolution.

He said, “Services such as solid waste, water and sanitation, electricity, roads, and traffic lights are being outsourced.”

Delanto said continued outsourcing will lead to unaffordable municipal rates.

As an example, he said, there are 20 trucks for refuse removal, but only two are functioning and 18 require repairs. But, “instead of fixing them, the employer has outsourced that service to private companies.”

He said the 18 truck drivers were earning an income but doing nothing. “We call that wasteful expenditure … One day those employees may be retrenched as their roles have been outsourced.”

Delanto said outsourcing was enriching tenderpreneurs at the expense of the metro’s finances.

Regarding Public Works workers, he said, “Those workers endure victimisation from their managers and ward councillors because, if you are not aligned with the councillor, they can decide to get rid of you, and you can’t do anything about it.”

Delanto said the strike will continue indefinitely until the municipality’s management responds to their grievances.

A traffic officer monitoring the protest showed GroundUp – on condition of anonymity – a photo of his vehicle being repaired by a roadside mechanic.

“It’s an utter disgrace that the municipality doesn’t prioritise fixing something as small as a tyre burst. I had to pay for the repair out of my own pocket because if I report it, the car will be parked for months.”

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 said SAMWU had been issued a certificate by the Bargaining Council authorising the strike, but most issues were matters for centralised collective bargaining outside the jurisdiction of the municipality.

“It is worth noting that all attempts at dialogue with SAMWU have not borne fruit”, and SAMWU had “again tendered an apology for their absence” at a meeting scheduled for Friday, said the statement.

“The grievances raised by SAMWU are neither new nor neglected. They have been consistently addressed through the proper channel,” the statement said.

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