Mbali Nala
Local government will consistently face wild-cat strikes for as long as the national government regulates the salaries of some employees and councillors while the bargaining council is responsible for the rest of the employees. The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to deregulate the local government and allow a single salary framework for all municipal employees.
The unprotected strikes in the eThekwini metropolitan municipality from 27 February 2024 are a symptom of an overly regulated sector that is fragmented. There are three different systems of remuneration in local government:
• Municipal employees are remunerated according to the categorization. There are eight categories negotiated at a national bargaining council.
• Councillors are remunerated in terms of the Office Bearers Act through ministerial regulations. The Minister sets six categories.
• Senior managers are remunerated according to the regulations for the Upper Limits of Total Remuneration Senior Managers. The Minister sets ten categories.
The Minister, via legislation, is at the center of fragmenting the sector, which has the potential to cause disputes. SALGA in KwaZulu-Natal condemns using unprotected strikes as a means of negotiation, however legitimate the concerns may be. This practice undermines the hard-won gains by local government to provide services and livelihoods to municipal employees.
