eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has given the business community the assurance that the City will not tolerate unruly industrial action similar to the strike by its workers that played out a few weeks ago.
Kaunda sought to assure the business community that the City management is not beholden to the unions, saying the metro is not co-governed with unions.
The mayor was addressing the business community in Durban on Monday. The address is part of the City’s public hearings on the draft budget.
Kaunda detailed the numerous disasters that had befallen the city which he said it had largely recovered from. These include natural disasters, the riots and the recent strike.
In February, City workers downed tools complaining about wage parity. They claimed workers at their level were earning more in other metros in the country. The strike was brutal and led to the near collapse of services in the city.
Kaunda assured the business community that what transpired during the strike was something the City found intolerable.
“We experienced industrial action which impacted negatively on how we deliver services to the city, water shortage, electricity challenges, and the economy which was affected because people were blocked in some instances.
“I recall that when they initiated it (the strike) they took all our heavy vehicles to close all the roads in the city.
“The city came to stand still. But due to technology we were able to take control of our fleet, that is what assisted us to deal with that situation,” said the eThekwini Mayor.
Kaunda said in response to the strike, the City took bold decisions, including dismissing some of the employees involved in the strike. “When we said we can't tolerate chaos in the city, we meant business.
“We wish to repeat ourselves on that statement and the stance that we have taken, that we are not governing with unions.
“We are governing alone, but we have stakeholders and the union ate part of those stakeholders.
“I am sure that the message we sent is clear that we are not going to tolerate anarchy in the city,” said the mayor.
The Mercury