The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has established a multi-stakeholder ministerial team with municipal unions and the employer body, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), in an effort to improve relations between the two while improving service delivery to communities.
The Ministerial Strategic Team comprises of the SALGA; South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU); Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU); National Treasury and the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).
The team, which will be chaired by Minister Sicelo Shiceka, will among other things advise the Minister on the development of a code of conduct to guide behaviour during industrial actions. This follows the disruptions that were experienced during the recent municipal workers strike which saw dozens of striking municipal workers trashing the streets to voice their anger and disdain for the proposed wage increase by municipal employers.
The newly established Ministerial Strategic Team will seek to strengthen relations between Salga and local government unions in order to ensure that organised labour fully participates in the management of local government affairs and supports the efficient delivery of services to communities. The team will serve as a foundation that will inform future engagement between Salga and organised labour. Municipal unions have welcomed the initiative, further agreeing that the unions' role in local government should be extended into areas of service delivery where they can make valuable inputs, instead of being limited to only negotiating issues of conditions of employment.
"Early next week the team will meet to refine the terms of reference and we understand that there will always be differences (between unions and employer) but the strike must always be the last resort," said Minister Shiceka.
Minister Shiceka also said that the scope of the work will go beyond issues that are normally dealt with in the bargaining council but will go as far as reviewing the income gaps between the municipal management and the lowest paid worker in the municipalities.
Minister Shiceka emphasised that it was crucial that during a strike, people abide by the laws of the country and where deviation from the code of conduct is detected; consequences must follow any unlawful action falling outside of the code of conduct to be developed by the MST.
Issued by: Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
5 August 2009
Source: Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(http://www.dplg.gov.za)
