Municipal workers will smile all the way to the bank at the end of this month as SALGA and recognised municipal unions, Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) and South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) concluded a historic five year-deal that will see the facilitators proposal of a 6% wage increase for the first year of the agreement now placed on the table, signed and agreed upon.
The Facilitators proposal aims to provide for wage and salary adjustments across the board in the context of the increase of high inflation, a constraints economy and limited fiscal resources.
“This will be the first ever salary and wage agreement spanning a five-year period that has been obtained in the history of collective bargaining and will go a long way in ensuring the much-needed labour intensity in the municipal sector”, Salga said in the statement.
The Facilitators Team was led by the erstwhile Dudu Madubanya and Advocate Oupa Mabusela, While IMATU and SAMWU had its Presidents President Nelson Mokgotho and Keith Swanepoel, SALGA was represented by its Chief Executive Officer Sithole Mbanga and South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) Secretary General Bill Govender.
“Salga’s approach to these negotiations is also premised on the productivity levels of municipalities, linking salary in crease to service delivery
The proposed collective salary and wage agreement will see a 6% increase in the first year with 4,5% effective from July 1, 2024, and additional 1,5% from March1, 2025. There will be increase of 0,75% plus consumer price inflation for the second and third years, with increase of 1,25% plus consumer price inflation for the fourth and fifth years.
This salary and wage adjustment collective agreement must be seen to attract and retain scare and critical skills to help municipalities maintain financial sustainability and viability, Salga concluded.
Source: Engineering News
