Rustenburg – The Newcastle local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal has been ordered to reinstate all 223 workers dismissed in 2019, the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said.
Samwu in KZN said it noted with jubilation and excitement the settlement agreement which has now been made an order of the Labour Court in Durban, enforcing the reinstatement of the 223 employees who were unfairly dismissed in November 2019.
The union said the termination of these employees’ contracts of employment was not only unfair, but also immoral.
“We have as a union from the onset shown our support and solidarity to these workers. Many of them have lost a lot, including marriages, houses and vehicle repossessions as they could not keep up with the repayments. Although the settlement agreement now brings closure to the issue, irreparable damage has been done against these employees as they will not be able to retrieve that which they have lost,” said KZN provincial secretary Nokubonga Dinga.
She said as per the settlement agreement, all 223 employees will be returning to work on October 1.
“These workers will also receive 12 months’ salary, while the municipality will also pay 36 months’ worth of pension contributions on behalf of the workers.
“Although much damage has already been done to the employees, financially, socially and psychologically and family-wise, as a result of the unlawful dismissals, we trust that this settlement agreement will assist the workers in rebuilding their lives.”
She said it has been the considered view of the union that whenever there were disagreements between municipal management and workers, municipalities in KZN have always resorted to dismissing workers instead of dealing with issues amicably and in the interest of service delivery.
“The union will now be redirecting all its energy and resources towards fighting for the reinstatement of workers in other municipalities.
“The union has already scored another victory wherein eight workers from the Ugu local municipality were reinstated by the SALGBC (South African Local Government Bargaining Council). We are tirelessly working hard to ensure the reinstatement of the remaining workers at Ugu, King Cetshwayo and Ndwedwe municipalities,” she said.
She said the court order would deter other municipalities that have an appetite to dismiss workers without following due process and those who seek to silence the voice of workers and the union by always issuing threats of dismissals.
