Labour & Management Relations

UMngeni-uThukela Water strives to create an environment in which employees feel valued and support the organisation’s values, strategies and priorities. The rights and well-being of all employees are safe-guarded and protected through alignment of corporate policies with relevant legislation and regulations. Specifically, with its union, NEHAWU, the entity has in place a Collective Agreement that is maintained. Currently, 69% of the total workforce are union members and 51% are within the collective bargaining unit.

Quarterly Union-Management meetings were held in the reporting period, excluding special meetings that were held to provide more timely feedback. The collective agreement serves as the minimum terms of engagement, as the entity is committed to information sharing and to providing reasonable response at all times to organised labour regarding any significant operational changes that affect employees. During the engagement sessions, management actively engaged labour regarding concerns raised and sought to achieve resolution of issues without any stand-offs.

Centralised Bargaining Issues

UMngeni-uThukela Water together with other Water Boards in the Water Services Industry have, through the Statutory Council, embarked on a journey towards full centralised bargaining. The past year saw the following developments:

  • The registration of the South African Association of Water Utilities (SAAWU) as an Employer’s Association
  • Agreement on the industry dispute resolution process outside of the CCMA
  • Implementation of the Statutory Council Services
  • Agreement on the Auditing Service provider to the council.

This convergence of the various stakeholders within the industry has both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the equalisation of the very disparate conditions of employment within the water sector.

Relations with the National Education and Allied Worker’s Union (NEHAWU)

The majority union subscribed at uMngeni-uThukela is Nehawu and membership comprised 73 percent of the workforce. Within the bargaining unit which spans Peromnes levels 9-17, 504 out of 607 employees at these levels or approximately 85 percent are members of Nehawu.

Relations between union and management are good.

Medical Aid Agreement

A single medical aid scheme, Bonitas, was approved by the Board for all employees as the scheme proves more affordable to employees at the lower end of the pay scale and offers a comprehensive range of benefits. The Union (Nehawu) endorsed the scheme by signing a collective agreement on behalf of its members.