Mkuze municipal employees strike amid fears of job losses
Municipal workers who are members of workers union, MATUSA have been protesting outside the municipal offices in Mkuze in northern KZN - complaining about jobs.
According to MATUSA, there's been uncertainty about the future of 108 workers after the Umkhanyakude District Municipality terminated a service contract to provide clean water.
The union is accusing the municipality of reneging on a court agreement to employ the workers.
MATUSA General Secretary, Kurt Ziervogel says the municipality has given a contract to a new service provider but Matusa members are not being accommodated.
"We are astonished to learn that officials - an HR manager, and the director - have no knowledge of these agreements. We are sitting with 108 workers who have not been paid since February 21. There's a court agreement that clearly states that Umkhanyakude becomes the employer. No one is putting this agreement into effect. Our meeting this morning has been fruitless," Ziervogel said.
But municipal spokesperson, Mduduzi Dlamini says no one will lose their job.
He says workers from other unions are at work and they are waiting for MATUSA members to do the same.
"Not even a single employee must lose his or her job. So, it's an issue of a transition taking them to a new service provider. The new service provider is willing to take MATUSA on board to work under that service provider."