Workers+demands+are+unaffordable



='Workers demands are unaffordable'=

The Star, Johannesburg, July 12, 2005

 * By Mariette le Roux, Sapa**

At least 15 000 striking municipal workers were expected to march through Johannesburg's CBD today to demand higher wages.

Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the march, for which permission had been granted, was to begin at 9am from Beyers Naudé Square.

Market, Rissik, De Korte and Harrison streets would be affected by the protest, which was due to end at about 3pm.

"Our officers will be blocking off the intersections as they march through," Minnaar said.

Meanwhile the SA Local Government Association has again defended its offer of a 6% salary hike to municipal workers. Salga deputy chairperson Obed Mlaba said that considering that some municipalities were so cash-strapped they were unable to deliver even basic services, a bigger pay rise was "completely unaffordable".

"Some municipalities are so stretched they will even find it difficult to pay the 6%," he said.

Municipalities unable to afford the increase could apply for an exemption.

Municipal workers are demanding a 9% increase.

Salga lamented the strike, given that negotiations were continuing, especially as an arbitration meeting was scheduled for noon today, at which the arbiter was to propose a settlement figure.

Mlaba gave assurances that Salga had contingency plans in place to minimise the effects of today's strike.

"We will seek to ensure that there is as little disruption or inconvenience as possible to our ratepayers."

The "no work, no pay" rule would apply.

Salga labour committee head Sakhmzi Somyo said the employer's pay rise offer was reasonable, based on the rate collection base of municipalities.

"The 9% that the unions are crying for is very unfair in the present environment. What they are asking is unaffordable."

Somyo said the local government wage bill, at 45% of the operational budget, was way too high and hampered the core competency of municipalities. The more money was spent on salaries, the less was available for service delivery.

Salga, in a statement, said municipal operational budgets had increased by 4,5% in the 2003/4 financial year and personnel costs by 7,85%.

"Municipal personnel costs need to be contained to ensure that efforts for job creation are not undermined.

"At some point there were 260 000 employees in the sector, and this figure has decreased to about 210 000. This can be attributable largely to the rapid growth of personnel costs."

n A strike threatened by about 190 000 steel workers this week has been called off after their main union said yesterday it had received a higher pay offer from the employers' federation. - Sapa and Reuters


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=128&fArticleId=2621474