DURBAN - A LEADING municipal workers’ union in KwaZulu-Natal is threatening to distance itself from the ANC local government voter mobilisation drive unless the fate of its more than 900 members currently expelled or suspended is reconsidered.
But the KZN chapter of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said it would not be waiting for the cases to be brought back to the alliance tables for review.
Provincial secretary Nokubonga Dinga said the union had taken its gloves off in preparation for a fierce fight with three affected municipalities at a hearing expected soon at the Labour Court, a move she said would be concurrent with the union’s isolation strategy for the ANC in the run-up to the polls.
Samwu KZN was contacted for comment after their Eastern Cape (EC) counterparts resolved not to “give the ANC a blank cheque” during the coming elections.
“Cosatu should develop preconditions in order to get support from workers, eg all workers and shop stewards who were suspended and dismissed be brought back unconditionally in a form of amnesty where municipalities are led by the ANC government,” said Luzuko Yalezo, the EC provincial secretary, who stressed that this was a condition put forward by the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and under which the union in the province would support the ANC in the elections.
Dinga said the KZN cases involved 550 workers in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, 225 in the Newcastle Municipality and 150 in the Ugu District Municipality.
Described by Dinga as unfair dismissals, the cases relate to protest action over service delivery in which employers brought cases of misconduct against municipal workers, including shop stewards aligned with Samwu.
“The members were charged for allegedly being involved in illegal strikes. Our case at the Labour Court should have sat on July 26, but it has been postponed due to the lockdown. While we are confident of winning this case, what we have said as Samwu is that we will not be encouraging our members to vote for the ANC carrying a Samwu flag,” said Dinga.
“We have been doing this over many years during elections … to say we mobilise in support of the ANC. This time and because of these issues we have with municipalities, a person can vote for whomever they want on an individual basis,” she said, adding that the KZN PEC had yet to meet to finalise the union’s position.
Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Nonala Ndlovu said political parties could explore a number of ways in which to solicit votes, but without compromising good governance and administration in the sphere of local government.
“If such an absurd proposal were to be entertained, then it would set a bad precedent that would mean that you cannot discipline an employee for wrongdoing across the public service.
“Procedures and prescripts governing local government and labour relations should be followed at every step of the way without exception. This is to help maintain good governance and the rule of law, while protecting the integrity of the public service,” said Ndlovu.
THE MERCURY