- Ray Nkonyeni council workers are striking over R144-million in unpaid wages, leaving rubbish uncollected and services stopped.
- Workers demand six months’ back pay and better job grades but town manager Khetha Zulu says the council lacks funds.
Workers at Port Shepstone’s Ray Nkonyeni town council have been on strike for two weeks, leaving rubbish uncollected and services stopped as they fight for R144-million in unpaid wages.
Union workers won’t work until they get better pay and benefits promised to them. They say town manager Khetha Zulu broke promises made about their pay.
The council got a court order telling workers to come back last month but they refused.
The council’s lawyers wrote to the workers saying they won’t talk about pay until everyone returns to work.
The fight began on 25 October. Workers want six months of back pay and better job grades after two smaller towns joined to make one bigger council in 2016.
Town manager Zulu says the council doesn’t have the money.
“RNM does not have the money currently but would have to sit down with the South African Municipal Workers Union to find a way to pay the workers,” he said.
He wants the council to look at the deal again first.
But workers say they won’t work until they know when they’ll get paid.
Pictured above: The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality in Port Shepstone is on the brink of collapse as workers strike enters the second week.
Source: Supplied
