The City of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) have signed an addendum to the Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA) on salary parity, marking a new development in the ongoing engagements between the municipality and organised labour over longstanding salary disparities affecting municipal employees.
The signing comes amid heightened attention surrounding the implementation of the agreement, which seeks to address historical inequalities in employee remuneration and ensure greater fairness in the City’s salary structures.
The PFA has been a longstanding issue within Johannesburg’s municipal labour relations, with workers and the union calling for the correction of salary disparities that have affected employees over several years.
The agreement reached between the City and SAMWU in November 2025 followed extensive negotiations facilitated through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). It was intended to establish a framework for addressing historical remuneration differences while considering the City’s financial sustainability.
Addressing historical salary disparities
Salary parity has remained a key concern for municipal workers, particularly those who believe that employees performing comparable duties have historically been placed on different salary scales.
The agreement is intended to address these disparities through a more equitable remuneration framework, including salary alignment and job grading.
In March 2026, the City approved an adjustment budget that included funding for the implementation of the PFA. SAMWU welcomed the development, describing it as an important step towards addressing what it considers decades of wage inequality.
A process marked by ongoing engagements
Despite the agreement, its implementation has not been without challenges.
The City has faced financial pressures and questions around how the multi-billion-rand commitment can be honoured without compromising its financial position and service delivery responsibilities.
In October 2026, tensions escalated when SAMWU members took their salary dispute onto Johannesburg’s M1 freeway, demanding that the City honour its commitments. The union raised concerns about proposed payment arrangements and the outstanding amounts owed to affected employees.
The signing of the latest addendum therefore takes place against a backdrop of continued discussions, labour concerns and the need to find common ground between the municipality and its employees.
What happens next?
The focus will now be on the practical implementation of the signed addendum, including how the revised arrangements will affect municipal workers and the broader salary parity process.
For Johannesburg residents, the outcome also carries implications for the stability of municipal operations. A constructive relationship between the City and organised labour remains important in ensuring that employees are supported while essential services continue to reach communities.
While the signing represents another development in the City’s engagement with SAMWU, the details of the addendum, including its specific financial commitments and implementation timelines, will be important in assessing its impact.
As both parties move forward, municipal employees and residents alike will be watching closely to see how the latest agreement translates into meaningful progress.
S.A BUZZ will continue following developments surrounding the City of Johannesburg’s salary parity agreement and its implications for municipal workers.follow.more on @sabuzzmedia @cityofjohannesburg