The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the North West has issued a strike threat against the Rustenburg Local Municipality if it fails to implement long-overdue salary upgrades for its members.
The union is demanding that the municipality honor a 2010 council resolution that promised to increase workers’ salaries from Grade 5 to Grade 7. Despite the resolution being over a decade old, employees claim they are still earning lower-tier wages while other municipal staff, including councillors, receive higher pay grades.
Workers Demand Fair Compensation
SAMWU recently held a picket outside the municipality, calling for the immediate implementation of the wage agreement. Bushy Mafora, a union shop steward, accused the municipality of selectively applying the wage agreement only when it suited them.
“In 2010, we had a wage collective agreement that categorized Rustenburg as a Grade 7 municipality, yet workers are still stuck at Grade 5 salaries,” Mafora said. “Meanwhile, we have employees and councillors earning higher grades. This is madness.”
Mafora also referenced a 2022 council resolution where the municipality admitted to incorrectly advertising positions at Grade 5 instead of Grade 7, further proving the need for correction.
Strike Action Looms
The union has given the municipality until next Thursday to respond to their demands. If no resolution is reached, SAMWU has already applied for a protected strike and is pursuing legal enforcement of the 2010 agreement through the bargaining council.
“We have stopped the picketing for now, but if the employer fails to address the workers by next week, we will proceed with a full-blown strike,” Mafora warned.
Municipality Under Pressure
The Rustenburg Local Municipality has yet to issue an official response. However, with SAMWU mobilizing for potential industrial action, tensions are rising as workers demand fair compensation aligned with council resolutions.
