Pretoria - Tshwane workers who have been on strike for the past three weeks over benchmarking payments have mandated their union to accept the one-year payment, to be effected by Friday, for all those covered by the collective agreement.
The second payment must be effected before the end of December, South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) regional secretary Mpho Tladinyane said.
The members also mandated the leadership to come up with strategies on how it could assist revenue enhancement strategies of the City and further identify and close leakages in the system, including corruption.
"We thank our members for their patience, faith and for entrusting the union to secure the best deal possible.
“We further thank the negotiation team for the dedication and work put into these engagements in the interest of our members."
At the same time, the City said service delivery was gradually getting back to normal following three weeks of the crippling strike.
Residents endured a torrent of service interruptions which took inordinately longer to restore due to the labour dispute that beset the City.
Spokesperson for the City Selby Bokaba said that last Friday the City leadership tabled a proposal to the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union and SA Municipal Workers Union aimed at breaking the logjam.
The parties undertook to seek a mandate from their members yesterday whether or not to accept the offer on the staggered payment which was subsequently agreed to.
The City was confident that the workers would accept the offer and return to work and expedite service delivery, Bokaba said.
“Impressive progress was made during the long weekend to reduce the service interruptions backlog.
“Services will be ramped up in respect of water and electricity distribution, water interruptions, sewer blockages and refuse collection as the week progresses,” he said.
Some of the notable progress included resolving 92 power interruptions cases affecting hospices, hospitals, potable water and sewer pump stations and waste water treatment plants. At least 28 medium voltage power interruptions and 482 cases of outstanding single consumer power interruptions were resolved, he said.
The metro also attended to 88 major water leaks, 143 leaking water meters, 10 area water interruptions and 316 sewer blockages.
Household waste collection, including landfill sites and garden waste sites returned to normality from yesterday.
“There won’t be any special or additional capacity for collection to clear the backlog. “Residents are advised to take out their bins as per their normal schedule. The teams are clearing up the backlog at garden sites. We urge communities to start using the garden waste sites and refrain from dumping outside.”
The A Re Yeng bus services resumed operations yesterday. A decision was still pending on when Tshwane Bus Services would be back on the road.
Pretoria News