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Salga to intensify its engagements with local municipalities in the Free State

Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality logo
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The South African Local Government Association (Salga) says it will intensify its engagements with local municipalities in the Free State to address pressing matters confronting them.

An inter-ministerial task team has been appointed to look at the challenges of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality which owes Eskom R3 billion.

Salga acting on behalf of 257 municipalities, South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) have reached the much anticipated multi three-year municipal wage agreement after negotiations deadlocked for months.

All parties agreed on a 7% salary increase across the board for municipal employees with effect from July 1st 2018 to June 30th 2021 in Bloemfontein.

Municipalities such as Mangaung Metro and Kopanong have a challenge of service delivery. Workers from Kopanong also faced problems with their unpaid third parties.

With the three year agreement of 7% salary increase to municipal workers Samwu says it will ensure that third party payments won’t be behind.

Pule Molelenyane Samwu president says: “We have engaged with SALGA and they have actually committed to roll out the program and greater percentage of municipality now they are paying into the third party payments.”

Salga maintains that it is paying more attention on critical municipalities that are failing to pay service providers such Eskom and waterboards.

Parks Tau, Salga President says: “We have agreed with those we have engaged already that we will be sending the Salga technical team to come and provide specific support  in those municipalities. We are part of inter-ministerial team on electricity that has been discussing all debt owed to Eskom. Its mandate has been expanded to include waterboards so that we have a comprehensive resolution of that problem together with government.”

Salga, Samwu and Imatu believe that the much anticipated multi three-year municipal wage agreement will instill stability in municipalities.

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