IMATU REACTS TO SAMWU’s INTENDED STRIKE ACTION

Strike action in local government (Photo:IMATU)

In reaction to the threat of Samwu to embark on a “massive national strike” on Friday 13 May 2011, IMATU categorically states the following;

• The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union, IMATU represents some 70 000 municipal employees in the municipal sector, nationally
• IMATU has also signed the notification to the employer’s organisation Salga, indicating that we are in dispute with the national employer regarding wage increases for the 2011/12 financial year
• IMATU takes note of the intention of Samwu to commence with strike action on Friday and emphasize that each trade union’s decisions on industrial action are based on their union’s sovereign directive(s)
• IMATU will not join Samwu on Friday in any strike action
•  IMATU will not intimidate any organisation nor be intimidated by any party from the municipal industry or elsewhere to participate in strike action, stay-aways, “work-to-rule” or other forms of work-stoppages 
• IMATU will not tolerate any form of intimidation of our members during Samwu’s industrial action and we will protect our members’ interest at all costs
• IMATU-although we are in dispute with the national employer, remains committed to following the dispute resolution procedure of the SALGBC 
• IMATU recognises the existence of other methods and avenues of dispute resolution to deal with matters relating to the management of local government and we are committed to ensure proper service delivery during the Samwu strike