By OBAKENG MAJE
The service delivery took a backseat at the Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) on Monday as junior employees downed tools. The municipal employees took to the streets for a protest march over the R2500 danger allowance saga.
The members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), which is the largest union in local government in South Africa, said they want the embattled municipality to pay them an R2500 danger allowance too instead of R1500.
According to the information, senior managers and directors were all paid R2500 without any municipal council resolution.
SAMWU secretary in Greater Taung, Mpho Thompson said it is not fair to junior employees to be paid R1500 as danger allowance, while office-bound senior managers and directors received R2500.
“There was a council resolution that was taken on 5 October 2022 regarding danger allowance. The resolution said those senior managers and directors who received R2500 should return R1000s from each R2500 they received.
“Now, our junior employees want to be paid R2500 too as danger allowance. We think that it will be fair if R2500 is paid across the board because a certain individual went to the council and misled it,” Thompson said.
He further said, most senior managers and directors were not exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic because they were office-bound. Thompson added that, these senior managers and directors received airtime and tablets as most were working from home.
“Now, the R2500 that was intended for danger allowance, the municipality has used it for overtime and standby. According to the policy, senior managers and directors are not allowed to get overtime or standby allowance.
“So, those who were supposed to get danger allowance are junior municipal employees because they were exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic, while on the ground and ensuring that there is service delivery,” said Thompson.
He said, even though they did not lose any members through the COVID-19 pandemic in the municipality, SAMWU has lost many members nationally. Thompson said their members have given the municipality until Monday to respond to their demands.
IMATU secretary from the Greater Taung, Kagiso Mogatusi said: “It was actually not a strike per se, but municipal employees needed clarity on the danger allowance matter. However, IMATU was not part of that, but employees actually wanted to meet with the municipality’s leadership to get clarity on whether the municipality will meet their demands or not.
“No, SAMWU was there, but we have discussed that as IMATU because we wanted to follow proper channels and ensure that the municipal council leads us. So, I do not want us to use the word strike because the employees just wanted clarity from the municipality on whether the municipality will meet their submission or not.”
Meanwhile, the municipal mayor, Tumisang Gaoraelwe failed to respond to our phone calls and WhatsApp messages regarding the matter before going to print.
TaungDailyNews 