MUNICIPAL WORKERS AND WASTEAGE OF RATEPAYERS' MONEY

By Subry Govender


Hundreds of Ethekwini municipal workers on the North Coast used the council's vehicles  to attend a union meeting called by the SA Municial Workers Union (SAMU) at the Ottawa Community Hall early on Tuesday, May 12.
The workers used the council's cars and trucks (big and small) to arrive from KwaMashu, Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat and other areas in the vicinity.

They crowded Maharaj Road to such an extent that it appeared there was an "important" gathering about service delivery taking place.
Instead they used the "working hours" to discuss their wage demands. They are demanding about 10,5 percent in salary increases, while, it's understood, the municipality is only offering about five percent.
One of the workers told me that they are granted permission every month to attend "union" meetings during working hours.

When asked why couldn't have their union meetings during their own time, he responded by saying:
"If we have our meetings during our own times then the municipality won't take us seriously."
A resident in the area said he was surprised to see such a large number of municipal vehicles crowding up the residential area.
"This is absolute waste of ratepayers'money," he said.
"I am just wondering whether the Mayor and other officials are aware that municipal vehicles are used by workers to attend union meetings during working hourse.
"This is just another demonstration of the lack of commitment to work. Why do they have to waste ratepayers' money like this?", he asked.
The resident said he hoped that the workers, many of them who occupy senior positions, would have noticed the degeneration and degradation taking place in Ottawa.
"We are fed up with all the litter, filth and rubbish being dumped every where. We are also fed up with truck owners using residential areas to park their vehicles and to dump sand and rubbish in the Ottawa River.
"We are also fed up with the failure of the municipality to show more concern about the interests of ratepayers."  ends - sg/dbn May 12 2015