Johannesburg - ANC staff representatives have dismissed claims that all employees have been paid their outstanding salaries.
The representatives confirmed to IOL News that the “stayaway” continues until every worker is paid what is due to them.
Staff representative spokesperson Mvusi Mdala rejected claims and said not every employee has been paid.
“Not all workers have been paid outstanding salaries. For example, Free State staff were last paid in September last year; in North West their January salary is still outstanding; and, in the Western Cape the December and January salaries are still outstanding. Provident Fund was last paid in November 2018.
“UIF also still outstanding,” Mdala said
On Thursday, ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said the party had paid employees outstanding salaries. He was addressing the media after paying his respects to the family of businessman and politician, Tokyo Sexwale, after the passing of his mother. He insisted that no one was owed money by the party.
On Wednesday, IOL News reported that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) had filed papers in the Labour Court to force the ANC to pay its staff their outstanding salaries.
The union, representing the employees, said it was in full support of the staff members in their fight for improved conditions of service.
Mdala said a combination of factors played a role in pushing the ANC to pay some staff members, not only Nehawu. “It is a combination of many factors: Nehawu filling papers, our industrial action, pressure from ANC structures as they want to have conferences,” Mdala said.
Nehawu said it filed papers at the Labour Court. They said the matter was in court, and, as the union and staff, they had tried everything possible to find an amicable solution, but to no avail.
“As Nehawu, we took a decision to take the ANC to the Labour Court, and filed papers. We are demanding that the service rendered by workers must be remunerated immediately,” Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said.
Saphetha said the ANC deliberately failed and elected not to honour its contractual obligations since October 2021, resulting in workers not getting paid in December or over Christmas.
ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za
Political Bureau