THE Johannesburg branch of Samwu has told its national office to keep away from its affairs.
The warning, confirming deteriorating relations between the two, came yesterday in response to an announcement by Samwu's national office last week that it would discipline branch executives for mobilising workers not to participate in the strike.
A shopsteward, who asked not to be named, said yesterday that they remained adamant on their resolution not to strike until their complaints were attended to.
This is despite Samwu's spokesperson Tahir Sema telling the media at the weekend that operations in Johannesburg would grind to a halt from yesterday.
Instead, it was business as usual, with metro buses and traffic officers spotted working in the city.
The shopsteward said 200 members of Samwu's regional shopstewards council would meet tomorrow to consolidate their response to threats by the national office.
"They must dare try (to discipline us). We'll embarrass them by marching to the national office while the strike is on. All we want is for them to fix the mess in the province," she said.
The Johannesburg branch has refrained from industrial action because of its dispute with the Gauteng office.
Shopstewards have accused the Gauteng office of corruption and fraud relating to money withdrawn from the union's coffers, which was not accounted for.
The money was from funeral policies and the workers' medical aid scheme.
They are also unhappy about the union signing the wage curve without a mandate from members.
A wage curve emanated from Phakama, an initiative by the city to integrate workers from municipality-owned entities with those employed directly by the metro.
Workers said the system had wage discrepancies in which some junior employees would earn more that their seniors because of the varying salary structures the different entities had.
It has also emerged that the strike has not been effective in Tshwane.
Sowetan has copies of two letters addressed to the provincial leadership, informing it that it would not participate.
Samwu general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo said he had been told that the strike was well attended. He said he was not aware of the boycott in Tshwane.
Joburg not backing Samwu strike
THE Johannesburg branch of Samwu has told its national office to keep away from its affairs.
The warning, confirming deteriorating relations between the two, came yesterday in response to an announcement by Samwu's national office last week that it would discipline branch executives for mobilising workers not to participate in the strike.
A shopsteward, who asked not to be named, said yesterday that they remained adamant on their resolution not to strike until their complaints were attended to.
This is despite Samwu's spokesperson Tahir Sema telling the media at the weekend that operations in Johannesburg would grind to a halt from yesterday.
Instead, it was business as usual, with metro buses and traffic officers spotted working in the city.
The shopsteward said 200 members of Samwu's regional shopstewards council would meet tomorrow to consolidate their response to threats by the national office.
"They must dare try (to discipline us). We'll embarrass them by marching to the national office while the strike is on. All we want is for them to fix the mess in the province," she said.
The Johannesburg branch has refrained from industrial action because of its dispute with the Gauteng office.
Shopstewards have accused the Gauteng office of corruption and fraud relating to money withdrawn from the union's coffers, which was not accounted for.
The money was from funeral policies and the workers' medical aid scheme.
They are also unhappy about the union signing the wage curve without a mandate from members.
A wage curve emanated from Phakama, an initiative by the city to integrate workers from municipality-owned entities with those employed directly by the metro.
Workers said the system had wage discrepancies in which some junior employees would earn more that their seniors because of the varying salary structures the different entities had.
It has also emerged that the strike has not been effective in Tshwane.
Sowetan has copies of two letters addressed to the provincial leadership, informing it that it would not participate.
Samwu general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo said he had been told that the strike was well attended. He said he was not aware of the boycott in Tshwane.
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