The criticism follows a statement by city manager Sello More, who said the shift system is a cost-saving initiative aimed at curbing excessive overtime. Samwu, however, called the statement misleading and a gross oversimplification of the challenges faced by the metro.

“The public statement by city manager, Sello More, regarding the proposed implementation of a new shift system as a financially prudent and efficiency-driven solution to issues of overtime, is both misleading and a gross oversimplification of the deep-rooted, systemic failures plaguing the municipality,” said Samwu provincial secretary Thabang Tseuo.

The union’s rejection of the shift system comes in the wake of damning findings by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), which recently issued Mangaung with its third consecutive qualified audit opinion.

The AGSA report revealed a staggering material deficit of R468 million and highlighted R1.8 billion in unauthorised expenditure, R278 million in irregular expenditure, and R130 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

“These figures, along with the under-utilisation of grants and a lack of investment in critical infrastructure, point to a crisis that cannot be attributed solely to employee overtime,” Tseuo said.

Overtime spending under scrutiny 

The metro has come under fire for spending R470 million on overtime in just two years, a figure made more controversial by reports that payments were made to ineligible individuals, including a sewer cleaner allegedly in prison and others who had already retired.

Samwu argues the proposed shift system fails to account for the metro’s chronic understaffing, especially in key operational areas. 

“It is unclear how a shift system can be effectively implemented when there are not enough workers to fill the shifts. 

“Workers are often forced to work extended hours to compensate for chronic understaffing and ensure essential services are rendered to residents. This is not an abuse of the system, but a necessity driven by the metro’s failure to fill posts and implement a sustainable workforce strategy,” said Tseuo.

The union also accused the metro of bypassing collective bargaining processes, in violation of labour laws.

“Samwu will oppose any measures that unilaterally impose new working conditions, violate existing collective agreements, or penalise workers while ignoring the metro’s own financial and governance failures,” Tseuo added.

Political pressure mounts

He called on the metro to immediately halt the unilateral implementation of the shift system and instead engage in formal consultations with organised labour, as required by the Labour Relations Act.

He further demanded that the metro urgently fill critical vacancies and investigate the AG’s findings, particularly those related to wasteful expenditure and irregular overtime payments.

Opposition parties have also weighed in, calling for accountability and a full forensic investigation into the overtime scandal. Mangaung councillor Hardie Viviers expressed conditional support for the shift system, noting its potential to curb overtime spending, but criticised the metro’s approach.

She said the metro acted unlawfully by implementing the shift system without consulting employees.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh