Former contract workers accuse City of Tshwane of nepotism

About 800 former City of Tshwane contract workers affiliated with the South African Workers’ Union accused the municipality of nepotism after failing to hire them permanently. On Wednesday, they marched to Tshwane House and demanded reinstatement.

The former waste capacity workers were laid off in October last year, after being on fixed-term contracts for 10 years. However, they say records show otherwise.

“When you go to the Labour Department, they refer you to your local department. There they tell you that you are still employed by the city,” says a worker.

The workers say the city reneged on an agreement undertaking to insource them. They now want the city to review its employment process.

“We are simply saying to the municipality that they must make sure that they speed up this process of absorbing these workers. There’s a simple process they can follow in absorbing these workers who are supposed to work directly in the municipality. This process has been delaying because of the corruption of some of the leaders who tried, by all means, to take this as an opportunity to bring their cousins and whoever they know in the society,” says Dave Mamaregane, SAWU Secretary-General.

Workers’ march | SAWU accuses City of Tshwane of nepotism when it comes to employing permanent staff

[embedded content]

Municipality says termination lawful

Former Utility Services MMC of the city, Abel Tau, came to support the disgruntled workers.

“I understand their plight. I can tell you now, there was an agreement with these employees that they are going to be absorbed on a year contract when a process to absorb them permanently is being expedited,” says Tau.

Mayoral Spokesperson Jordan Griffiths was turned away by the angry crowd, as they demanded to be addressed by the mayor. Griffiths says their termination was lawful.

“The workers themselves subsequently took the matter to arbitration, which they lost and subsequently took that to the Labour Court as well and the city is meeting them there at the Labour Court. Whatever the court decision will take further whatever judgment comes out. It is not unusual for the city to employ people on fixed-term contracts and for the contracts to end and not renew those contracts,” says Griffiths.