SDM water tanker truck drivers protest for salary adjustments
GROBLERSDAL
Water tanker truck drivers, attached to Sekhukhune District Municipality SDM), have since from Monday 24 February 2025, embarked on a sit-in in the municipality offices in Groblersdal to demand salary adjustments.
The protesting truck drivers are appointed to supply drinkable water to drought-stricken villages in all four local municipalities of SDM.
The drivers state that they demand salary adjustments from Level 13 to Level 7 as per Sekhukhune District Municipality grading.
Truck drivers’ spokesperson, Donald Mailula, told the publication that they embarked on a sit-in because they have been battling with the municipality for salary disparities for about two years.
“We have been battling for salary adjustments since March 2023 and the issue was never addressed. Previously, we marched to deliver memorandums to the municipality but they were not responded to. The municipality management is not taking us seriously, we decided to engage in a sit-in so that we could be heard by the municipality management,” he says.
According to Mailula, the district municipality is not respecting truck drivers when it comes to salary adjustments, stating that the government institution is paying heavy duty truck drivers the same salary as they pay the cleaners and other new employees.
“How can a salary of a heavy-duty truck driver be at the same level as a salary of a cleaner and a junior fire fighter? It is obvious that they are treating us like slaves and this must come to an end,” he said.
Mailula indicates that in August last year they met with SDM Municipal Manager Meshack Kgwale to address salary disparities where they were promised that the municipality was busy with evaluation, which was supposed to be concluded in February 2025. However, Mailula says the municipality could not give an update about the evaluation outcomes.
“The municipality is full of malicious compliance; they don’t respect us at all. When we ask questions, they say we are personal and threatening us with dismissal,” he says. Mailula vows that the sit-in will continue until the district municipality meets their demands. SDM could not respond to the paper at the time of going to print.
