Johannesburg - Members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) at waste removal entity Pikitup in Johannesburg embarked on another illegal strike on Friday.
The company said it was experiencing service disruptions due to an illegal strike that would affect refuse collection across Johannesburg.
“These disruptions are of great concern to us, but most importantly our residents and the business owners serviced by Pikitup on a daily basis,” Pikitup spokesman Jacky Mashapu said on Friday.
“It is rather unfortunate, particularly on the part of the union to embark on yet another unprotected work stoppage,” he said.
The strike came barely three weeks after an agreement was reached between workers and Pikitup, following an intervention by Gauteng human settlements and cooperative governance MEC Jacob Mamabolo.
The workers had downed tools on November 23, demanding salary hikes from R6,000 to R10,000 and that the company attend to salary disparities.
They also demanded the resignation of managing director Amanda Nair.
Mashapu said it was rumoured that the workers were demanding a 14th cheque, although they had not yet approached management about their demands.
“There is nowhere in the agreement facilitated by MEC Mamabolo, where the parties agreed on payment of a 14th cheque. We are surprised by this illegal work stoppage, more so after all parties held a follow up meeting regarding the agreement on Thursday,” said Mashapu.
He said the workers received their bonuses at the end of November.
The union’s spokesman Papikie Mohale, said management had failed to pay workers a once-off incentive that formed part of the agreement.
“They should not confuse a bonus with the once-off incentive. Managers receive performance bonuses, while workers don’t. The incentive agreement was a way of rectifying that,” Mohale said.
The previous strike saw rubbish piling up on street corners across the Johannesburg CBD and residential areas.
A court interdict obtained by Pikitup against the strikers at the time was ignored, prompting the company to hire the Red Ants security service to help clear the backlog.
At least four contract workers were shot at and wounded during the strike.
ANA
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