UNPAID Emfuleni Municipality workers were allegedly told to "apologise" for going to the media and being uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK party) members before they can receive their salaries.
The five employees alleged they were not paid their March salaries because they joined MK party, which angered their manager, who is an ANC regional executive committee member.
According to one of the employees, Nduduzo Skhosana, the manager told them to apologise for going to the media and being members of MK party.
Nduduzo said the manager told them if they didn’t apologise, they were not going to get their salaries.
“We're not apologetic as we are fighting for what we worked for and fighting for our rights," Nduduzo said.
He alleged the manager is trying to make sure the group writes a letter of apology for reporting the matter to the media.
It’s alleged a member of the ANC's regional executive committee and a manager in the municipal manager’s office learned that the five workers had joined Zuma’s party, started treating them badly and also warned that he would “deal” with them.
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Nduduzo said the municipality is now giving the media false information that they didn’t sign off or submit their timesheets as expected.
“We submitted our timesheets as expected, but our manager made sure he is not signing them as a way of dealing with us for joining Zuma’s MK party.
“We're going to take the manager to the Bargaining Council as the Labour Relations Act (1995) states that politics should not interfere with work. All we want is the money that we’ve worked for,” he said.
Emfuleni Municipality spokesman, Makhosonke Sangweni said the five employees were not paid because they didn’t sign off or submit their timesheets.
“All council employees have a constitutional right to assemble, but when they're at work, they're employees. We encourage employees to keep the municipality away from partisan politics and conspiracy theories that are aimed at tarnishing the institution’s image,” said Sangweni.
