RUSTENBURG - The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Metsimaholo municipality in the Free State has reach a win-win settlement agreement, the union announced on Wednesday.
Provincial secretary Thabang Tseuoa said the union and the municipality had agreed that 32 workers dismissed three years ago must return to work.
"The Metsimaholo municipality had dismissed over 180 of our members for having participated in a strike action in September 2014. Some of the 180 employees were later reinstated but 32 employees were left out. Today (01 November), the remaining 32 dismissed employees will be reporting for duty following the ground-breaking settlement which was reached with management."
Tseuoa said in term of the settlement agreement, all workers would be reemployed on the level they were employed at prior to their dismissal.
"Although we would have loved for the members to be reinstated instead of reemployed, we believe that this settlement agreement is a win-win for all parties given the fact that this matter had taken over three years to be resolved," he said.