The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) concluded the 2015/16 Local Government wage conciliation talks this afternoon and are expecting to receive a conciliator?s proposal on Monday, 6 July 2014.

The conciliator, Dr Attie van der Merwe, will be drawing up a conciliator?s proposal over the weekend. The conciliator?s proposal will set out a number of proposals for possible settlement of the dispute. This proposal is not binding and can be accepted or rejected by any party however, IMATU expects that it will provide a constructive platform for agreement.

?We are optimistic that we will have a way forward after this weekend. Once the Conciliator?s Proposal is received, we will need to embark on extensive consultation with our structures, principals and members. Ultimately the decision to accept or reject this proposal will be theirs,? explained IMATU General Secretary, Johan Koen.

The conciliation period has been extended for a further 30 days in order to allow all parties to obtain a mandate for acceptance or non-acceptance of the proposal. The extension of the conciliation period also means that a certificate of non-resolution will not be issued until the parties have responded to the conciliator?s proposal. 

?We will hopefully be able to start circulating the conciliator?s proposal throughout our structures by early next week,? concluded Koen.

Issued by IMATU