Pretoria - Municipal workers at the City of Tshwane, who made futile attempts to disrupt a council meeting at the Sammy Marks Chamber last week, won’t receive the unpaid monthly stipends that propelled them to protest.
Mayoral spokesman Blessing Manale said the principle of no work no pay would apply to contract workers.
Workers, hired under the programme called Vat Alles, downed tools after they had not received their monthly stipends on August 26.
The programme is a national initiative which forms part of the extended public works programme.
Workers are responsible for picking up litter, grass cutting, removal of illegal posters, and clearing of illegal dumping sites, among other duties.
It was not the first time the municipality had failed to pay them on time.
Workers said they protested after their plea to mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa fell on deaf ears.
Manale said: “The programme is a short-term relief which pays beneficiaries stipends for work done. If a beneficiary is not at work, then the no work no pay rule applies as stated in their employment contracts.
“The group that protested last week was not at work, therefore there is no stipend due to them.
“Workers were not paid because they were not at work,” he said.
There had been numerous complaints that the unavailability of workers had affected service delivery such as the fixing of leaking taps.
According to Manale, service delivery was partially affected only in Region One which includes Winterveld, Rosslyn, Theresa Park and Pretoria North.
He said: “The city was using permanent employees to bridge the gap.”
Pretoria News