Tshwane votes against implementing wage hikes for council workers

The city of Tshwane on Thursday decided against implementing an increase for its workers, citing financial difficulties.

During a heated council meeting, marred by several interruptions, the majority of the councillors decided against implementing the salary hike agreed to at the bargaining council last year.

Mayoral committee member for corporate and shared services, Kingsley Wakelin, had presented a report asking the council to approve a deviation from implementing the pay hikes.

Plans by the ANC and EFF to thwart the move fell short after the council majority of the coalition government, led by the DA, voted against continuing with the pay increases.

The coalition defeated an amendment brought by the EFF and the ANC, managing 107 votes against 102.

This means the city will now apply to the National Bargaining Council to ask for permission to deviate from implementing the pay hikes.

The wage agreement, which was announced by the South African Local Government Association last year, said all municipal employees would receive a 3.5% increase with effect from July 1, 2021.

Salga had further announced salary adjustments every year, with a one-off non-pensionable cash allowance. The agreement covers three years.

“Salga has made provision for submission for exclusion,” said Wakelin.

He said the city found itself in a financially precarious situation. 

Wakelin cited bad financial management when the city was under administration in 2020 which left it R4bn in the red. But Wakelin was forced to withdraw the statement after ANC leader Kgosi Maepa protested that there was no proof that the municipality had been left with a R4bn deficit.

Wakelin further cited the affect of Covid-19 on the ability of the city to collect revenue it would have used to pay workers.

Wakelin explained that they wanted the exemption for only one year of the three-year deal.

Mpho Tladinyane, regional secretary of South African Municipal Workers Union in Tshwane, said they had referred the matter to the bargaining council even before Thursday's meeting.

The move was to force the city to implement the agreement.

“We are not deterred, we still trust the processes of the bargaining council and we believe that we will emerge victorious,” said Tladinyane.

Both the ANC and EFF slammed the coalition government for voting against paying the increase to the workers.

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