Pretoria - The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has accused the DA-led coalition running the City Of Johannesburg (COJ) of racism saying all the employees it wants to let go are black.
Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse, a member of the DA, insists she is trying to right a wrong because she says affected employees had their fixed-term contracts illegally converted to permanent positions in March last year.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Samwu Regional Chairperson Esther Matatyana, said the DA has “showed us that they are racist … it’s about the colour because all of the people they want to dismiss they are blacks”.
Matatyana said there are whites whose fixed-term contracts were also converted to permanent positions and they were not being asked to leave their jobs.
“They are still in the offices.”
“We have also noted that since coming into power through this coalition government, the DA has been hell-bent on interfering in the administration of the City and its entities through the mayor and her MMCs, forgetting that their role is political and not administrative.”
Affected COJ staffers have been told to stay at home and not to report for work.
Last week, the COJ sent armed Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) K9 members to deliver termination letters to more than 130 employees.
“You know the manner that the City communicated we disagree with it … when the neighbours saw the vans of the JMPD and other private security with dogs and guns it seems as if at work they committed criminal activities of which it was not,” Matatyana said.
Commenting on the number of workers affected, Matatyana said the number was much higher than what the COJ had announced.
“The number (of affected employees) they are just saying 120 or 130 plus, but according to us we know that it’s 200 and something employees … it’s only the first batch of letters that they released with is 130,” said Matatyana.
She said it was public knowledge that the contracts of employment of these employees were converted in March 2021, following the advertisements of the vacancies and the rigorous interview processes.
It is therefore unfortunate that the City has decided that these employees are political appointees and as such decided to terminate their contracts of employment without following any due process let alone terminate the contracts on the basis of misconduct, insubordination or dereliction of duty.”
She said instead of thanking workers for their service, the COJ instead opted to dismiss them and in the process did away with eight years of experience.
“As Samwu, we place it on record that the decision taken by Council is illegal and unlawful for a variety of reasons including but not limited to,” said Matatyana.
“These employees have legal and binding contracts of employment that cannot be unilaterally terminated without valid reasons.
“These employees have not committed any acts that seek to undermine the smooth running of the administration.”
Matatyana said Samwu was ready to challenge the planned dismissals in court and also take to the streets in protest.
Lawyers representing the affected workers have until Wednesday to make representations regarding the COJ move to terminate their jobs.
“Municipal workers in the City of Johannesburg will not fold their arms while their fellow employees are persecuted for political mileage by the DA and its allies,” said Matatyana.
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