An agreement was reached between the city of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers’ Union representing striking metro police officers after a marathon 14-hour negotiation session on Friday.
It was agreed that Samwu members will return to work with immediate effect, said the city of Johannesburg.
”It is envisaged that all test stations, licence offices and other regional facilities will also start running business with immediate effect and by Monday return to normal. Failure to adhere to this provision will render the agreement null and void.”
The agreement followed two days of negotiations aimed at resolving the strike that started earlier in the week.
The core of the agreement deals with the remuneration of metro police officers. The city of Johannesburg’s position in the talks was to prioritise the restoration of services.
Implied in this outcome was that no further industrial action is to be taken on issues which were subject to the agreement. With regards to minimum salaries paid to metro police officers, the following was agreed:
- New trainees will attend a course on theoretical aspects at the metro police academy for six months and will receive a stipend of R2 000 per month.
- Upon completion of the course a trainee metro police officer will undergo practical training for a further six months and be paid R4 200 per month.
- Upon successful completion of both the theoretical and practical training, the officer will be become a permanent member of the metro police department and will be paid the applicable minimum salary.
”The City of Johannesburg, as employer, commits itself that none of its employees will be paid below the minimum salary of the grade applicable to the position.”
With regard to employees who had been in the service of the city for a longer period, the following was agreed:
- Those who have been employed by the metro police department for a period of six years to twelve years, shall be placed on the median range of the salary scale;
- Those who have been employed for longer than 12 years will be paid at the maximum rate.
The parties agreed that these provisions would only apply to permanent staff members and would not serve as a precedent or be used against any of the parties in future disputes or negotiations.
The parties also recognised the fact that the Johannesburg council operates within a specific legislative environment and that the agreement would only be implemented once it had been approved by the relevant structures of council.
Samwu has called on its members to convene at the Wemmer Complex at 9am on Saturday to receive a briefing on the negotiations.
Johannesburg Sawmu branch secretary Dumisani Langa said on Thursday that unfair salary structures were at the heart of the dispute.
On Wednesday, protesting metro police officers allegedly fired live ammunition at South African Police Service members in the Eloff Street/M2 highway area. Police fired rubber bullets and injured nine metro officers.
Langa said the metro officers were fired on while engaging in a peaceful march and that at no time had metro personnel used live ammunition. – Sapa