Knysna muni workers demand "danger pay"

KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna municipal workers picketed outside the municipal building on Tuesday 6 April, demanding danger allowance for all front line workers and the workers who have been working during any level of lockdown.

They also demanded an end to discrimination against workers in the municipality.Speaking on behalf of the workers, Knysna Municipality Samwu branch chair Shaun Kralo said Acting Municipal Manager Dawid Adonis called the union asking about the workers picketing outside the municipal main building.

"The picketing was as a result of the labour forum not having convened for quite some time. But we attended to the matter and held a meeting between Samwu leadership, the mayor, Elrick van Aswegen, and Adonis," he said.

According to Kralo, the workers' demands focused on the Director of Corporate Services and the Chief Financial Officer.

"They wanted to know how come workers are discriminated against in the municipality and what the corporate services and human resources departments are doing about that. On this matter we agreed that the mayor will have to investigate the matter," he said.

Samwu members picketing outside municipal offices on Tuesday.

Kralo said workers wanted a once-off R25 000 danger allowance for front line workers, R15 000 to workers who came to work when requested in the face of the Covid-19 virus and R7 500 to all workers who worked during all levels of the lockdown.

He said the employer (municipality) promised to finalise the process by the end of April.

"We gave them this month to do everything needed to process the money. If they need to develop a policy they need to do it this month so that next month workers can be paid their allowance," he said.

Adonis said they have attended to the workers and have made a commitment that they will take their concerns to the municipal legal structures.

Photos: Tembile Sgqolana