Alfred Duma Municipal Council is completely shocked and in disbelief at the actions of the Municipal Security Guards who have continued preventing access to employees based at the Public Participation Section, Operation Sukuma Sakhe, Public Safety and Emergency Services, Community Services and Technical and Infrastructure Department respectively, who are unable to gain access to their departmental sites and offices.
Council can confirm that a meeting was convened with the Labour Union, SAMWU, and the Municipal Security Section immediately after their illegal closure of municipal access gates in the affected sections and departments mentioned above. “Arising from the deliberations and engagements, it was evident that the root cause of the wildcat strike was the fact that contracts of Municipal Security Guards were terminated by the municipality as per their contractual agreement between the employer and the individual employee,” said Manager for Communications and Intergovernmental Relations of Alfred Duma Municipality, Siyabonga Maphalala.
The Municipal Management can confirm that there is an already existing Labour Court process where the Municipal Security appointed an external Legal Representative and their matter has been processed by the Bargaining Council with findings and a ruling in the form of a Settlement Agreement which the Municipal Administration is prepared to adhere to the contents thereof for the awarded employees which are Security Supervisors, noting that the award did not favour all the applicants of which the Access Control Officers, their case and matter was dismissed. “At this stage, the municipality cannot engage further on this matter except through Labour Court presentations as opted and chosen by the Municipal Security Guards who were appointed on a contractual basis by the municipality. All municipal employees are required to distance themselves from the ongoing municipal security guards’ wildcat strike and apply precautionary measures when performing their duties until the situation is restored back to normal.” Through the Municipal Code of Conduct, an investigation and assessment will be conducted to determine perpetrators and those participating in the wildcat strike in solidarity with the Municipal Security Guards. At this stage, the municipal properties will remain on high alert and the SAPS have been deployed to monitor the situation.
