North West Community Safety and Transport Management MEC, Wessels Morweng, has assured striking workers at the North West Transport Investment (NTI) that their one-month salary will be processed on or before Friday this week.
Morweng made the commitment following a meeting with NTI workers, after they blockaded the provincial Legislature precinct with buses earlier today, demanding payment of their overdue salaries.
The MEC also highlighted that further engagements to find a permanent solution to the NTI salary debacle will be undertaken by all stakeholders.
The workers have not been paid for more than 14 months, and several meetings, court applications, and interventions aimed at resolving the impasse have failed.
Monday’s meeting was attended by Morweng, acting Head of Department Molefi Morule, and other senior department officials.
The meeting was also attended virtually by the General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Solly Phetoe, and the General Secretary of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU), an NTI-recognised workers’ union, Jack Mazibuko.
“We paid in January for December, but we could not pay the three months due to budget pressures. We were waiting for the second adjustment budget, which would enable us to honour our commitment, and that has not yet been scheduled. Maybe that will be done this week or next week; that process would be undertaken to help us honour our commitment to the workers of NTI,” said Morule.
Furthermore, Morule stated that they have already informed the provincial Treasury that they will adjust their budget to assist NTI workers with outstanding salaries.
“We had to put certain commitments on hold to assist with at least one month’s salary, which will be paid on or before Friday; the money will be transmitted to their paying agency. Once the adjustment budget has been passed, the remaining two months will then be paid. We hope that this entire process will be concluded by next week at the latest, and if there is any delay, we will go back and communicate with the workers,” said the acting HOD.
In addition, Morule highlighted that they have committed to improving communication with the workers to ensure that the matter is resolved swiftly and amicably.
“This is a historical issue, and the department is not simply sitting back and ignoring it. There is constant engagement between ourselves as the department, Gauteng as the contracting authority, Ministers, and Premiers. We hope that these ongoing engagements will yield a long-lasting solution to the problem,” said Morule.
