JOHANNESBURG - The SA Municipal Workers Union says individuals purporting to be representing it who signed a memorandum of understanding with City of Johannesburg were not mandated by the union to do so.
"We place it on record that Samwu is not part and parcel to the memorandum of understanding [MoU] as it was signed by people who are not mandated to enter into any agreement on behalf of the union, and as such, it can be summed as an agreement between the city and the said individual, not the union and its membership within the City of Johannesburg," the union said in a statement.
Samwu and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union signed the agreement which the city said was binding upon all parties and is enforceable in terms of the Labour Relations Act. The signing ceremony followed a lekgotla held on Friday with representatives of the city and both trade unions. “At its core is a recognition that the City and its unions are interdependent, and as such can find common ground is available to advance the needs of our residents and employees in Johannesburg. The MoU establishes a framework which will establish a partnership between Imatu, Samwu and the city in the budget planning processes of government. As representatives of employees in the city, organised labour has a critical perspective in the execution of service delivery," said Lukhwareni.