Businesses on the south coast have voiced their frustration

Businesses in RNM frustrated by ongoing municipal strike

Businesses on the south coast have voiced their frustration over the ongoing municipal work stoppage in Port Shepstone.

Protests hit several areas of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality
Supplied

A wage deadlock at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality saw some workers downing tools last year.

 

Those belonging to unions IMATU and SAMWU raised concerns about a job grading process that dates to 2016 after the merger of the Hibiscus and Ezinqolweni municipalities.

 

At the beginning of January, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi gave management three weeks to resolve the issue.

 

Vijay Naidoo, with the Business Forum, said reports over the weekend suggested that both parties had reached an agreement.

 

But he said workers are apparently continuing to strike in solidarity with five suspended employees.

 READ: RNM, SAMWU working to end municipal strike

"The municipality has been put on terms that a lot of businesses are planning whether it is going to be a joint task action from businesses in Port Shepstone that were affected or whether it is going to be on the basis of individual businesses.

 

"But there is a clear understanding that businesses are going to look to the municipality for compensation once the situation has been normalised,” said Naidoo.

 

The strike caused disruptions to services, including refuse collection and power outages, severely affecting businesses and residents.

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