Tshwane Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa attempted to pacify the crowd of protesting workers but his pleas were dismissed by the irate workers. PHOTO: ANA Reporter;
City of Tshwane to be ‘shutdown’ by workers demanding 18% pay increase
The workers were also protesting against outsourcing of services by the City of Tshwane.
Tshwane Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa attempted to pacify the crowd of protesting workers but his pleas were dismissed by the irate workers. PHOTO: ANA Reporter;
Thousands of protesting City of Tshwane workers affiliated to South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) on Thursday vowed to intensify their demonstration and bring South Africa’s administrative capital to its knees if Mayor Stevens Mokgalapa does not announce a pay increase of 18%.
“The reason we have converged here is the payment that was effected for senior managers in the City of Tshwane. The city decided to pay all senior managers an increase of 18%, but all of us here, as lower-level employees of the city we are not being paid that particular amount of money,” SAMWU regional secretary Mpho Tladinyane said speaking to journalists outside Tshwane House in the Pretoria CBD.
“We have gathered here to call and demand that the city pays us that money as well. The Executive Mayor [Mokgalapa] has to address workers. The only thing we expect the executive mayor is to tell workers when they are going to get their money. Any other thing, we are not going to allow or accept as workers in this city.”
Tladinyane said over time, the anger of protesting workers began to escalate.
City of Tshwane workers ‘outraged’
“You can see the anger within our members here. The workers are making it a point that at least by tomorrow latest, there should be a commitment from the City of Tshwane in terms of how this particular matter will be dealt with. If the city does not commit, either today or tomorrow, the workers will then decide regarding what is going to happen,” said Tladinyane.
“You can see already that the number of workers here are from the few depots that are around town. We will be here again tomorrow [Friday] demanding what is rightfully ours.”
The pay increase which sparked the workers’ outrage was reportedly implemented only for divisional and departmental heads.
Representing Mokgalapa, Tshwane member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for Human Capital Management and Shared Services Richard Moheta attempted to address the protesters but was quickly dismissed by interjecting workers demanding money.
Mokgalapa had earlier intervened, attempting to speak to the agitated crowd but the protesters soon disrupted him, singing and chanting slogans when he didn’t announce an 18% increase.
The workers were also protesting against outsourcing of services by the City of Tshwane.
By African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Devereaux Morkel.
