Buffalo City Metro councillors are in line to get salary increases of up to 6%, backdated to July last year.
At a special meeting today mayor Xola Pakati is expected to urge council to approve the recently gazetted salary increases, as well as allowances and benefits for its 100 councillors.
The increase was published in a government gazette notice on December 15 by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des Van Rooyen.
According to the new salary increases based on BCM’s Grade 6 level, full-time councillors such as Pakati will be earning a total remuneration package of R1298317, while deputy mayor Zoliswa Matana and council speaker Alfred Mtsi will have a package of R1048546.
The total remuneration packages of mayoral committee members and chief whip Mzwandile Vaaiboom, have gone up from R940680 to R987714 while part-time councillors will now be earning a total remuneration package of R486228, up from R458706.
The remuneration packages include a travel allowance, housing allowance and municipal contributions to pension funds and medical aid schemes.
Pakati said the increases would not exceed the budgeted figure of 7.36% for the 2017-18 financial year and “it is therefore recommended that the increases be implemented with effect from July 1 2017”.
ANC councillors fully support the move and a caucus resolution was taken yesterday to approve the increases.
DA and EFF councillors told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that they still needed to discuss the matter before talking to the Dispatch.
The UDM’s councillor Thembisa July said she could only comment after the meeting today, while the ACDP and COPE parties told the Dispatch they were fully behind the move and would support it in today’s council meeting.
Samwu regional secretary, Zolani Ndlela said it was unfair that councillors will get a R6500 housing allowance while workers receive a R700 housing allowance.
“They will now have more than R3000 as a cellphone allowance while the workers on the ground have no such benefit. We are not fighting with their increases but as Samwu we are saying we also want to be close to the level they are pushing for. It’s only fair.
“This year is the year for salary negotiations for workers. When we are making our demands we don’t expect them to tell us they do not have money because, by implementing these increases, all these municipalities are telling South Africans that they can afford to spend money. If they tell us they don’t have money for workers we will fight with them.
“We are just waiting for them to approve this so that we have a strong fight,” said Ndlela.
Following the anticipated council approval, the metro will still need concurrence from the MEC for cooperative governance and tradition affairs, Fikile Xasa, before they can implement the increased allowances. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Councillors in BCM may receive 6% salary boost
At a special meeting today mayor Xola Pakati is expected to urge council to approve the recently gazetted salary increases, as well as allowances and benefits for its 100 councillors.
The increase was published in a government gazette notice on December 15 by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des Van Rooyen.
According to the new salary increases based on BCM’s Grade 6 level, full-time councillors such as Pakati will be earning a total remuneration package of R1298317, while deputy mayor Zoliswa Matana and council speaker Alfred Mtsi will have a package of R1048546.
The total remuneration packages of mayoral committee members and chief whip Mzwandile Vaaiboom, have gone up from R940680 to R987714 while part-time councillors will now be earning a total remuneration package of R486228, up from R458706.
The remuneration packages include a travel allowance, housing allowance and municipal contributions to pension funds and medical aid schemes.
Pakati said the increases would not exceed the budgeted figure of 7.36% for the 2017-18 financial year and “it is therefore recommended that the increases be implemented with effect from July 1 2017”.
ANC councillors fully support the move and a caucus resolution was taken yesterday to approve the increases.
DA and EFF councillors told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that they still needed to discuss the matter before talking to the Dispatch.
The UDM’s councillor Thembisa July said she could only comment after the meeting today, while the ACDP and COPE parties told the Dispatch they were fully behind the move and would support it in today’s council meeting.
Samwu regional secretary, Zolani Ndlela said it was unfair that councillors will get a R6500 housing allowance while workers receive a R700 housing allowance.
“They will now have more than R3000 as a cellphone allowance while the workers on the ground have no such benefit. We are not fighting with their increases but as Samwu we are saying we also want to be close to the level they are pushing for. It’s only fair.
“This year is the year for salary negotiations for workers. When we are making our demands we don’t expect them to tell us they do not have money because, by implementing these increases, all these municipalities are telling South Africans that they can afford to spend money. If they tell us they don’t have money for workers we will fight with them.
“We are just waiting for them to approve this so that we have a strong fight,” said Ndlela.
Following the anticipated council approval, the metro will still need concurrence from the MEC for cooperative governance and tradition affairs, Fikile Xasa, before they can implement the increased allowances. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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