IMATU CALLS FOR FINANCIAL CLEAN UP AT CITY POWER
The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) is very concerned by City Power’s decision to unilaterally alter our members’ conditions of service.
“Last year it was rumoured that City Power was in serious threat of overspending its annual budget. It was therefore not surprising that financial auditors were called in to evaluate City Power’s financial affairs. What we were not expecting was for our members’ benefits and conditions of service to be unilaterally reduced, effective from December 2012. Conditions of service can only be changed if both the employer and employees agree to, or negotiate new conditions of service which then replaces the older text. City Power is therefore in breach of contract,” stated IMATU General Secretary, Johan Koen.
IMATU members are rightfully vexed by this unjust action, which adds to the tally of murky decisions recently made by the utility. The Mail and Guardian last week revealed potential tender irregularities and possible acts of nepotism and corruption committed by City Power Management.
“We handed over a letter listing our grievances and outlining the blatant breaching of employees’ conditions of service. IMATU believes that employee’s pre-December conditions of service must be reinstated immediately and that a forensic audit must be carried out to highlight tender irregularities, payments unaccounted for and any wasteful expenditure. Our members’ benefits were simply cut without any prior consultation and yet City Power seems to be incapable of sufficiently accounting of money wasted on consultancy fees, recruitment and selection processes and tender irregularities,” explained IMATU Regional Manager, Mark Gericke.
The document was accepted by City Power’s Company Secretary yesterday morning, City Power Management is currently in the process of addressing IMATU members.