MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Municipal workers from the Makhado Municipality came together on Tuesday in a countrywide strike organised by SAMWU (South African Municipal Workers Union) to fight for a wage increase of about 9% or a R400 increase in minimum wage.

The municipal workers argued that they can’t support their families on the current minimum wage and that privatisation was leading to poverty. SAMWU organised the legal strike across the whole country, after SALGA wanted to reduce the minimum wage of R2 500 to R2 300.

Mr Sydney Rabakali, chairperson of the local SAMWU branch, said that “Municipal workers can’t live or support their families with such a wage and there must be an increase of at least 9% or R400.”

Striking SAMWU members marched through the centre of town on Tuesday morning. Local traffic officials monitored the march and kept everyone out of harms way. In comparison to some other towns and cities in South Africa, the strike action went peacefully.

The mayor, Cllr Rhulani Nkuzana, arrived at the civic centre and was cheered by the municipal staff just before the chairperson and the secretary of the local SAMWU branch, Mrs Diana Mphephu, handed over a memorandum for the mayor to sign. The memorandum stated the demands for the wage increase. Cllr Nkuzana signed the memorandum and told the municipal workers that he appreciated the fact that the strike went peacefully and that he would talk to the members of SALGA about the increase of the minimum wages for municipal staff. He also said that he would like to thank the municipal workers for all the hard work they had done to keep this town clean.