The South African Municipal Workers Union SAMWU has vowed to challenge a Labour Court ruling that exempts the City of Tshwane from increasing its employees salaries as collectively negotiated in the Bargaining Council.
The judgment, delivered by Judge Sean Snyman on Friday, remits the Citys 2021/2022 exemption application, seeking relief from the negotiated 3.5 wage increase, back to the South African Local Government Association Bargaining Council SALGABC for further consideration.
Simultaneously, it grants the City exemption from implementing the 5.4 wage increase for the 2023/4 financial year.
SAMWU Deputy General Secretary Nkhetheni Muthavhi has accused the court of judicial overreach.
If you look at the summary, before you even go into the judgment, you realise that it needs to be taken to the Labour Appeals Court under section 166 of the Labour Relations Act. Because its not only going to affect the city of Tshwane, its going to affect the entire sector from now on and going forward. And if we dont appeal it, it will mean that its the precedent that every municipality may go and apply for exemption, they are not bound by the signature they have put at the bargaining council. And we are going to take it to the Apex court should need be.
