Municipal strike looms

Johannesburg - Strike action is the only way to break the deadlock in wage negotiations between the SA Local Government Association (Salga) and municipal trade unions Samwu and Imatu.

This is according to Imatu general secretary Johan Koen, who said on Monday: "The latest round in wage negotiations has once again stalled, it is looking increasingly likely that strike action will be the only way to break the deadlock."

The Mediated Wage Negotiations between the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu), the SA Municipal Worker's Union (Samwu), and Salga took place on Friday and Saturday. "After two days of deliberations, the parties failed to find common ground on most of the key issues," Koen said.

"The facilitator intervened and put forward a proposal to the parties for consideration."

The key aspect of the facilitator's proposal was a three-year wage agreement. It comprises:

• Year 1 (2009 - 2010): an across the board increase of 10.5 percent;
• Year 2 (2010 - 2011): an across the board increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1.25 percent; and
• Year 3 (2011 - 2012): an across the board increase based on the CPI plus 1 percent.

The minimum wage was also to be increased to R3 802.00, to be implemented on July 1, to be phased in over a period of five years.

There will be no increase in the housing allowance for 2009, but increases to be implemented in 2010 to 2013 to a maximum mortgage bond of R100 000.00.

The parties were given until June 15 to respond to the facilitator's proposal.

"If Salga should fail to accept the facilitator's proposal, the only option left would be industrial action on a countrywide scale. It is important to note that the dispute is not merely about wages, but also concerns the critical staff shortages which are having a devastating effect on service delivery," Koen said.

- Sapa