A R500 Million Raise, But a New Shift in Work for Durban’s City Staff

In a deal that narrowly averted a potentially crippling festive season strike, the eThekwini Municipality has reached a landmark agreement with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) to boost its employees’ salaries, finally aligning their pay with counterparts in other major metros like Johannesburg and Cape Town. The catch? The city’s R500 million annual bill for the increases will be offset by a radical overhaul of working conditions, including a 50% cut in overtime and the introduction of a shift system.

The agreement ends a prolonged and bitter dispute over pay parity. SAMWU had long highlighted stark disparities, noting that the lowest-paid worker in eThekwini earned around R11,500 monthly, compared to over R15,000 in other metros. The union had threatened industrial action that would have disrupted water, electricity, and refuse services during the city’s busiest period.

The Trade-Off: Higher Pay, Less Overtime, and Shift Work

The settlement, effective from July 2026 with back pay from April 2026, promises “proportionally significant adjustments” for lower-grade workers. However, the financial sustainability of the deal hinges on significant cost-cutting within the municipality.

According to the settlement report, the parties agreed to slash the overtime budget from R700 million to R350 million per annuma 50% reduction. To make up the resulting service delivery shortfall, they have committed to designing and implementing a shift system across various municipal departments.

“The parties agreed on the need for a shift system… to discharge its constitutional and legislative responsibilities,” the report stated. The goal is to also increase productivity to a minimum of 75% in line with National Treasury requirements.

Political Relief and Fiscal Caution

Mayor Cyril Xaba expressed relief that a strike was averted. However, the deal has sparked calls for fiscal prudence. DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa supported the need for a prior financial analysis, stating any agreement “should not collapse the municipality financially.”

For Durban’s municipal workers, the deal is a hard-won victory for dignity and equal pay. For the city’s managers and residents, it marks the beginning of a complex transitionone where better-paid staff will be expected to deliver services under a new, more structured, and potentially less flexible work regime. The success of this trade-off will determine whether this historic agreement leads to a more equitable and efficient city, or becomes a new source of operational friction.

{Source: IOL}

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