Johannesburg - To the dismay of those trying to get vehicle licences, Joburg's licensing department went on strike again on Thursday.
According to Jack Mokalapa, a leader from the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), the workers had raised concerns about the pay advertised for new positions requiring no experience, compared with the salaries for experienced workers.
They also called for the removal of several people, including Nomcebo Mndebele, director of licensing and prosecutions, and the head of human resources.
“We are prepared to do this as long as it takes,” Mokalapa said.
He addressed workers in the parking lot of the Joburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) headquarters in a red Samwu T-shirt and hat from on top of a red car.
He waved an advert he said had offered new positions externally with better salaries than those earned by workers who had held the same positions for 12 years.
He cited two positions in particular, both clerk/cashier posts.
Mokalapa said new recruits for those positions would receive, including benefits, about R20 000 a month while the established workers in those positions, who would have to train the new workers, made R12 000, including benefits.
The advertisements obtained by The Star listed an annual salary range of R143 294 and R184 228 plus benefits for the higher paid position. That would amount to a range of R11 941 to R15 352 a month plus benefits.
Mokalapa said the experienced workers should get at least the same salaries as the new positions.
“The city always say they don’t have money, but they have money for the new advertisements.”
The strike that began on Monday was temporarily lifted while the workers waited for a response from the department head, Mokalapa said.
He said the head of the department of public safety, Hlula Msimang, agreed on Monday that they would meet on Thursday.
Msimang, however, in a letter given to The Star by Mokalapa, moved the meeting to Monday.
“We are still considering and consulting about the issues you raised and furthermore you have also not provided evidence as per our agreement,” the letter said.
A member of the mayoral committee on transport, Sello Lemao, met with workers at the JMPD headquarters when he arrived to speak at an event for the 16 Days of Activism.
The strikers had toyi-toyied loudly before his arrival.
The Star