Johannesburg - As the crippling strike by Pikitup workers enters its fifth week, the union representing the workers says it is more resolute than ever that until “concrete agreements” are met, the strike will continue.
South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) deputy regional secretary Paul Tlhabane said on Sunday that their mandate from the workers hadn’t changed and they were “charging forward” with demands for increases of between R6 000 and R10 000 a month.
The 4 000 workers on strike are also demanding the resignation of the waste removal company’s managing director, Amanda Nair, for alleged corruption and nepotism.
On Sunday, Tlhabane said negotiations between themselves, the City of Joburg and Pikitup had broken down because they were not committed to reaching a resolution.
“They keep saying they are waiting on Samwu, and they are lying. We are not saying implement the changes now, we’re saying give us something tangible.”
Tlhabane said even the disciplinary procedures against the striking workers, which began last week, were marred with alleged unfairness by management and its presiding officer.
Tlhabane said the union were forced to withdraw from the hearings as they believed they were not getting a fair hearing and appointed a legal team to represent the workers - but alleged they too weren’t given a fair amount of time to prepare.
On Friday, Joburg mayor Parks Tau pleaded with Samwu to return to the negotiating table, adding he was worried about the health and environmental impact of the ongoing strike after a rodent tested positive for the dormant plague.
Tau said Ivory Park, Diepsloot and Alexandra were some of the areas that were developing health hazards due to illegal dumping near trading facilities and recreational areas.
In a communiqué released on the same day, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said that while there was no outbreak of the plague, following their routine monitoring of various rodent-borne diseases, the single rodent from Mayibuye in Midrand had tested positive for antibodies to plague.
Attempts to reach Pikitup spokesman Jacky Mashapu for comment on Sunday were fruitless.
Meanwhile, Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said no arrests had been made in connection with the petrol-bombing on Wednesday night of Joburg member of the mayoral committee for infrastructure and environment Matshidiso Mfikoe’s house in Soweto.
It is still unclear whether the attack was linked to disgruntled Pikitup workers.
The Star