By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Local Government Association (Salga) and South Africa’s municipal workers unions have concluded a landmark five-year wage and salary agreement.
This is the first ever salary and wage agreement spanning a five-year period ever obtained in the history of the bargaining council.
The agreement, effective from 1 July 2024, remains in force until 30 June 2029.
Key features of the deal include employees receiving a 6% salary increase in the 2024-2025 financial year, with 4.5% effective from 1 July and an additional 1.5% from 1 March 2025.
Samwu’s national spokesperson, Papike Mohale, said the five-year agreement was an “unprecedented achievement in both the local government sector and the broader public service”.
The agreement runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029, and according to Samwu represents stability, consistency, and long-term benefits for municipal workers across the country.
“By securing this long-term agreement, we have ensured that municipal workers will no longer be subject to short-term negotiations that only offer temporary relief. Instead, we have achieved lasting gains that will have a meaningful impact on workers’ livelihoods for years to come.
“The agreement will also afford the parties in the SALGBC the time and space needed to focus on pressing issues beyond salary negotiations,” Mohale said.
He added that the extended duration of the agreement will provide municipalities with the fiscal predictability necessary to improve planning, service delivery, and employee welfare.
“With the salary and wage agreement in place, the SALGBC can now turn its attention to other urgent matters affecting workers, including: provision of serviced stand, review of the main collective agreement, wage curve, municipal re-categorisation, COVID-19 compensation and the absorption of EPWP workers,” he added.
If Samwu had rejected the proposal, the union could have declared a dispute and if dispute-breaking mechanism fail to break the impasse, Samwu could have embarked on a strike in support of its demands.
Previous strikes by municipal workers have resulted in the Johannesburg CBD being turned into a dump site as disgruntled workers emptied refuse bins onto the streets and embarked on general lawlessness. In some instances, those who are not part of the strike get intimidated and/or assaulted for reporting for duty.