Ramotshere Moiloa municipal workers strike over salary disparity

For the past week, municipal workers in Ramotshere Moiloa have been on strike, demanding the employer address a salary disparity. This dispute arose following a failed job-evaluation report at a recent special council meeting, which was sent back to the Local Labour Forum. The town, a small border settlement, has been grappling with power outages due to the strike, leaving residents without electricity during the recent rainy and windy weekend.

The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union, along with the SA Municipal Workers Union, met with the council's management on Wednesday, but negotiations did not yield a consensus. The workers accuse the management of being aware of longstanding issues regarding salary, allowances, and benefits, as highlighted in the Government Gazette of October 2024.

The Gazette states that the upper limits for salaries, allowances, and benefits for council members should be determined, a proposal that workers are demanding to be addressed.

The municipality's recent upgrade from Grade 3 to Grade 4 this year has also contributed to the dispute. This upgrade has impacted the salary scale of municipal staff, with workers seeking backpay dating back to when the upgrading was implemented. The upgraded salary scale affects 199 employees, with each worker potentially owed R110,004.29.

Additionally, workers are unhappy about the North West municipality's recovery program, which includes reducing overtime work. They argue that the loss of overtime work and the inability to sell their leave days is detrimental. A DA councillor, Imaan Sayed Suliman, mentioned that the municipality pays an average of R1 million per month on overtime, and he has repeatedly requested a reduction in this expenditure.

Busi Mashwama, a municipal spokesperson, acknowledged that the industrial action is centered around salary disparities and unresolved job-evaluation matters dating back to 2016. She affirmed the municipality's commitment to engaging organized labor in good faith and working to resolve the issue promptly, aiming to restore normal operations and ensure effective services.