Photo by: Duane Daws
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) will this week begin salary negotiations with Rand Water, the union said on Monday.
Samwu spokesperson Papikie Mohale said after extensive consultation and taking mandate from members, the union would begin wage and salary talks with Rand Water from Thursday.
The current agreement ends on June 30.
The union is demanding an 18% salary increase for low earners, 15% for middle and 13% for high earners.
Samwu further want a single year salary and wage agreement effective July 2016, a R3 000 housing allowance for all employees, and six months maternity leave which includes four months on full pay and 75% for the remaining two months.
A total of 10 compassionate leave days per annum, five paternity leave days, a R300 cellphone allowance for all employees, a R300 increase in firefighting allowance, a 10% increase in tool allowance and meal subsidy, as well as a R3 500 retirement contribution.
The union also demand that incentive bonuses be paid separately from members’ salaries.
“We further demand that all benefits enjoyed by other employees should be extended to employees of Rand Water in Mpumalanga,” he said.
He said they were in the process of consolidating workers’ demands at other water boards.
“We expect negotiations at all water boards to run concurrently until conclusion. We therefore urge employers in water boards to come to the table sober minded and with concrete increases for our members, otherwise we will act decisively in the interest of our members.”