South African Municipal Worker’s Union (Samwu) in the Free State has urged law enforcement agencies to act against municipalities who have defrauded workers’ contributions.
Workers at several municipalities have complained about the non -payment of provident funds and medical aid.
Matjhabeng municipality in Welkom is the latest municipality to fall into the category.
Services at the Matjhabeng municipality are shut completely and angry workers have vandalised the municipal offices.
Non-striking workers have been prevented from entering the municipal building by burning tyres.
“We are not on strike, but workers demand the mayor to step down. Our third party contributions have not been paid despite us contributing. The families of five workers who died on duty are yet to be compensated,” says Samwu’s Welcome Makgobotloane
The strikers emptied buckets of excrement in front of the municipal offices. Clashes erupted between police and workers. Police fired teargas at the striking workers and no-one has been arrested.
“We don’t want to just arrest people but we have opened a case of malicious damage to property and people are going to be arrested,” says SAPS spokesperson, Stephen Thakeng.
