The end to the violent and chaotic two-week Buffalo City Metro strike was announced yesterday by the metro leadership.
He said BCM initially refused to accept the R15000 payout, but was forced to reconsider because the strike had crippled the city.
Ndlela said they would carry on the fight for workers to get their metro-aligned pay and backpay, but workers had to return to work unconditionally.
One worker said: “We have been fighting for metro salaries for the past five years. Four workers were killed this week and how will their families feel when they hear we have settled for R15000 instead of R48000.”
The backpay issue relates to a claimed agreement the metro reached with workers in 2014 to pay them in line with a metro status.
The strike left 50 businesses without electricity and the city with piles of uncollected trash.
Commuters, shoppers and visitors to the East London centre yesterday had to duck and dive to avoid refuse blowing in strong winds.
The workers will also be hit with no-work, no-pay deductions for six months for “work stoppages”, said Mtsi.
He said the deductions period would begin this month and run until September, but there would be no deductions in May.
Asked where the money to pay the workers would come from, acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana said funds would be paid from savings and underspent budgets.
Ncunyana said ratepayers could expect the clean-up of the city to start after the workers had been addressed by their leaders yesterday afternoon.
However, Mtsi said anyone behind the violence, such as the burning of municipal electricity boxes and destruction of property, would be indentified and action taken.
Mtsi said BCM would conduct an investigation on the conduct of employees during the strike and table the report at the local labour forum for discussion.
“Employees have a right to strike but that does not mean that criminal action is supported. There is no labour law that supports that. Even the union does not support that,” Mtsi said adding that photographs and video footage would be used during the investigation. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za / mamelag@dispatch.co.za
IT’S ALL OVER: But workers still not satisfied with R75m deal
He said BCM initially refused to accept the R15000 payout, but was forced to reconsider because the strike had crippled the city.
Ndlela said they would carry on the fight for workers to get their metro-aligned pay and backpay, but workers had to return to work unconditionally.
One worker said: “We have been fighting for metro salaries for the past five years. Four workers were killed this week and how will their families feel when they hear we have settled for R15000 instead of R48000.”
The backpay issue relates to a claimed agreement the metro reached with workers in 2014 to pay them in line with a metro status.
The strike left 50 businesses without electricity and the city with piles of uncollected trash.
Commuters, shoppers and visitors to the East London centre yesterday had to duck and dive to avoid refuse blowing in strong winds.
The workers will also be hit with no-work, no-pay deductions for six months for “work stoppages”, said Mtsi.
He said the deductions period would begin this month and run until September, but there would be no deductions in May.
Asked where the money to pay the workers would come from, acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana said funds would be paid from savings and underspent budgets.
Ncunyana said ratepayers could expect the clean-up of the city to start after the workers had been addressed by their leaders yesterday afternoon.
However, Mtsi said anyone behind the violence, such as the burning of municipal electricity boxes and destruction of property, would be indentified and action taken.
Mtsi said BCM would conduct an investigation on the conduct of employees during the strike and table the report at the local labour forum for discussion.
“Employees have a right to strike but that does not mean that criminal action is supported. There is no labour law that supports that. Even the union does not support that,” Mtsi said adding that photographs and video footage would be used during the investigation. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za / mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos