By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The employees of the African National Congress (ANC) have decided to take legal action against the party in an attempt to get several months of unpaid salaries.
It was unclear whether the ANC would pay its employees ahead of Christmas after the party missed its own 15 December deadline.
ANC staff committee chair, Mvusi Mdala confirmed the one-month salary payment, but the party’s spokesperson Pule Mabe has seemingly suggested otherwise.
Pule said that the staff members were paid two of three outstanding monthly salaries.
“ANC staff have been paid for the outstanding months of October and November. We are expecting that the December salary will be paid by Wednesday,”Mabe said.
Mdala,meanwhile, indicated that the staff members will take the ANC to the Labour Court or the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over outstanding salaries next year.
“We will do anything possible to make sure that we get paid. We might also continue pickets, but we need something quicker, that will get us results.”
“We are looking at the CCMA and the Labour Court. We have lawyers that may be sympathetic to us, who may take this for free.”
The workers previously threatened to take legal action against the ANC,accusing the party’s leadership of allegedly making Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and medical aid deductions from their salaries, but not paying them over to the relevant entities.
The ANC has been blaming the new Political Party Funding Act for the party’s financial struggles.