Samwu issues notice to strike at Rand Water

17th August 2015

By: Natalie Greve

Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

  

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The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) plans to embark on a strike at Rand Water, following the collapse of wage negotiations between the water utility and the majority union on Monday.

The union said in a statement that it had issued Rand Water with notice to strike within 48 hours – a move that would result in full-blown industrial action at the water utility – after refusing to agree to Samwu’s wage increase demands of 9% for middle-income workers and 8% for supervisory workers.

The union was calling for a further 12% increase on the current incentive bonus, as well as a R2 150 across-the-board housing allowance.

However, Samwu national collective bargaining officer Chumani Gqeke told Engineering News Online that the utility had revised its wage offer to a yearly increase of 7.4% – an offer rejected by the union, which Gqeke said represented
over 4 000 Rand Water employees.

“We are currently talking to our members on the nature and type [of] industrial action that we will be engaged in. Our next appointment with Rand Water will be on the streets to settle these negotiations.

“When taps run dry in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, members of the community should ask Rand Water why they have not committed to giving workers increases that will have real gains for them,” the union held.

Samwu’s announcement came days after a similar strike threat by fellow union Uasa, which, on Friday, said strike action by its members employed at Rand Water may be “unavoidable”, after the parties failed to reach an agreement during wage negotiations held under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration last week.

In a statement to the media on Friday, Uasa accused the water utility of a “unilateral review” of a 2014 essential services agreement that it argued was no longer appropriate, as the company had since been restructured.

However, Uasa spokeseperson Gerhard Ueckermann told Engineering News Online on Monday that Rand Water had since agreed to appoint a task team to review those workers considered essential service employees and that were thus unable to embark on a strike.

He expected clarity on this by Wednesday afternoon.

“From our side, we won’t encourage our members to go on a strike because if they are considered essential workers, they will be fired. That’s why we’re asking for the review,” he commented.

Rand Water media relations manager Justice Mohale on Monday confirmed that the utility had been served with a notice to strike from Samwu, stating that no agreement had yet been reached in respect of certain of the demands made by the trade unions, namely the percentage increases to salaries, housing allowances and the incentive bonus.

“The meeting however, confirmed that the minimum services level agreement is not a matter of dispute.

“Rand Water will continue to provide high-quality potable water to all its customers [and] remains committed to reaching an amicable resolution to the current salary negotiations,” said the organisation.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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