The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has kicked off salary and wage negotiations by requesting that all municipal workers earn a minimum wage of R10 000.

The negotiations between SAMWU and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the employer body which represents municipalities across the country, started on Monday.

“The negotiations which are currently underway at the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) are as a result of the main collective agreement signed in 2015 coming to an end in June 2018,” said Simon Mathe, SAMWU General Secretary.

A liveable wage

According to SAMWU trade unions have submitted joint opening demands to the employer body which include a single year agreement, an across the board 15% salary increase or R3155, whichever is greater, a R2000 housing allowance for all employees, a R10 000 minimum wage for all municipal workers and all benefits and conditions of service linked to salaries to increase by the same percentage as the across the board salary increase.

“The presented demands are a response to the situation which municipal workers find themselves in,” Mathe said.

“We are convinced that municipal workers should be better remunerated so that they are able to keep up with the rising cost of living. We will therefore fight hard to ensure that municipal workers get increases which would enable them live a better life than they currently are, particularly given the fact that they are the least paid government employees,” he concluded.