The life-threatening water crisis that hit Buffalo City Metro (BCM) this week might have been caused by sabotage linked to a municipal strike.
He said strikers chased the metro’s IT technicians out of their offices. “Management is working round the clock to ensure that staff get their salaries before the end of business ,” he added.
Asked if he knew why BCM employees were not being paid, Ndlela said: “I don’t know.
“My phone normally rings on payday so when it did not notify me I realised we were not paid. I don’t know what happened. There was no communication given to us by the employer as to why we were not paid.”
On Monday, on the day the holding dam emptied, a formal 14-day period of notice of Samwu’s intention to strike also ran its course.
Saturday Dispatch has seen the South African Local Government Bargaining Council outcome of dispute certificate which gives Samwu permission to strike from Monday.
Ndlela accused BCM management of “remain arrogant in dealing with issues affecting staff wellness” and said members were within their rights to embark on a strike.
Samwu strikers are demanding:
- All workers be promoted two pay-grade levels based on the municipality becoming a metro in 2011;
- Backpay from May 2011 based on two higher pay grades; and
- That the municipality puts a stop to outsourcing services from contracted private engineering and electricity companies. — zwangam@disapatch.co.za
SABOTAGE, BCM to probe possible links between Samwu and waterworks vandalism
He said strikers chased the metro’s IT technicians out of their offices. “Management is working round the clock to ensure that staff get their salaries before the end of business ,” he added.
Asked if he knew why BCM employees were not being paid, Ndlela said: “I don’t know.
“My phone normally rings on payday so when it did not notify me I realised we were not paid. I don’t know what happened. There was no communication given to us by the employer as to why we were not paid.”
On Monday, on the day the holding dam emptied, a formal 14-day period of notice of Samwu’s intention to strike also ran its course.
Saturday Dispatch has seen the South African Local Government Bargaining Council outcome of dispute certificate which gives Samwu permission to strike from Monday.
Ndlela accused BCM management of “remain arrogant in dealing with issues affecting staff wellness” and said members were within their rights to embark on a strike.
Samwu strikers are demanding:
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