SDM salary adjustment dispute intensifies
GROBLERSDAL
Heavy duty operators comprising with water tanker truck drivers attached to Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), are threatening to engage in a full-blown strike if the district municipality fails to meet their salary adjustment demands.
The water tanker drivers, who have been battling for salary adjustments since March 2023, are working to supply drinking water to drought stricken villages in the four local municipalities across Sekhukhune District.
They demand SDM to adjust their salaries from level 13 to level 7, as per the Municipal Structures Act and Municipal Systems Act grading.
They also demand the municipality to resolve salary disparities issues, citing that some of the heavy-duty operators earn the same salaries with cleaners employed within the district municipality.
They say they are concerned that their complaints are long overdue and are now threatening to go on a full-blown strike if their demands are not met.
In March last year the disgruntled employees handed a memorandum of demands to then SDM Executive Mayor, Cllr Maleke Mokganyetji, stating their concerns.
According to the disgruntling heavy-duty operators, Mokganyetji committed to respond to their memorandum within 14 working days and they have never received any response.
A heavy-duty truck operator who did not want to be named; said they are planning to strike because the district municipality fails to meet their demands.
“The salary we are currently receiving is too little. We struggle to support our families. We are working very hard and paid peanuts at the end of the day,” he said.
He indicated that truck drivers, through their labor unions, South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU), have been trying to address their complaints with the municipality in several meetings, however, the engagements bore no fruits.
“Instead of finding a resolution, we were threatened with warning letters compelling us to return to work. We refused the municipality’s ultimatum because we want our demands to be met. The municipal manager promised our unions to convene an urgent council meeting to resolve our problem. That did not happen. We will soon go on strike and go to the municipality’s office to sit and do nothing until our salaries are increased,” he said.
He said if the matter takes longer to be resolved, they will be seeking the intervention of MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) in Limpopo, Basikopo Makamu.
SDM Spokesperson, Lemson Moropjane, could not respond to the paper’s enquiries when requesting a comment.
