The eThekwini Municipality is embroiled in a heated labour dispute with its suspended Head of Electricity, Maxwell Mthembu, leading to deadlocked talks and a potential labour co Picture: Supplied
Talks to resolve a labour dispute between eThekwini Municipality and its suspended Head of Electricity have deadlocked - and may likely end up in the labour court to decide the outcome.
The two parties met at the Bargaining Council this week but reached an impasse after the city rejected attempts at a conciliation.
City manager, Musa Mbhele, represented by his legal team, maintained he acted within the legal framework when suspending the city's Electricity Head, Maxwell Mthembu.
As a result, the two parties will now face off at an arbitration hearing - at a date yet to be determined.
"Yes, it's true, we deadlocked and will now go to the next phase which is arbitration. At that stage, the commissioner listening to both sides will make a ruling for either side. But any side can then appeal the decision and take it to the labour court," Mthembu told IOL but declined to comment further.
Mthembu is fighting to be reinstated after being suspended for allegedly failing to follow instructions from Mbhele to fire striking Municipal workers in February this year.
Strikers were demanding Municipal salaries on par with their counterparts at other metros.
Mthembu insists his suspension is illegal and is being backed by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
The fallout between the two men has fuelled tensions and divisions in an already fractious Municipality beset with problems.
"It's crazy. We have some who support the city manager, some who support Max. We are caught in the middle. We don't know who to trust and who to listen to. It affects all of us," said one municipal worker.
More than 80 eThekwini workers were dismissed following the strikes which ended last month, after two weeks of mayhem that collapsed services in the city.
The municipality is counting the cost of damage to infrastructure estimated to run into millions of rands.
Both the city and provincial government have vowed to act against those responsible and have started the legal process to do so.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has also insisted that while strikers had a legal right to strike, the recent strike action was illegal and unprotected.
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