BL Premium reports that the City of Tshwane advised on Monday that it was going to the Labour Court to challenge a decision by the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) that required the metro to abide by a multi-term wage deal which the city claimed was unaffordable. The city applied to the SALGBC to be exempted from implementing the last leg of a three-year pay deal reached in the council in 2021. In September, however, SALGBC dismissed the exemption application and directed Tshwane to comply with the wage deal with “immediate effect”.

This despite the city having argued that the increases were unaffordable as the city’s financial position was “exceptionally fragile”. Tshwane employees, inlcuding members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), had been on strike from 26 July, demanding that the metro implement a 5.4% wage increase, being the last leg of a three-year wage agreement. Tshwane chief of staff Jordan Griffiths advised on Monday that striking employees had been back on duty “for some weeks now”. He added that the wage increases “are not being paid”. “The city is going to the labour court to challenge the decision by the bargaining council,” said Griffiths.

by Luyolo Mkentane
Ref: SA Labour News