Pikitup has recently addressed the request by residents to be reimbursed following no refuse collection by the waste management entity due to the recent strike.
Spokesperson for the organisation, Pansy Oyedele said, “Requests have been received from residents that they should be reimbursed a monthly service charge for refuse collection because Pikitup could not provide a service due to an ongoing illegal work stoppage on the part of its employees affiliated to Samwu.”
Oyedele added that Pikitup would like to point out to Joburg residents that the refuse removal services fee is a monthly charge that is based on the value of property as per the City of Johannesburg’s Tariffs, with the charge not being allocated to a bin or number of lifts per bin.
She said, “The totality of waste services includes bin collection, street cleaning, illegal dumping, litter picking and landfill operations – these are all funded from the tariff as stipulated in the tariffs policy and City of Johannesburg’s waste bylaws.”
In times of refuse not being collected due to unforeseen circumstances that include a planned or unplanned strike, the entity implements a contingency plan to deal with the backlog.
Oyedele said, “We regret any inconvenience caused as a result of the ongoing disruption to refuse collection services and would like to assure Joburg citizens, and in particular, ratepayers, that we are doing what we can to stabilise the daily operations.”
The entity will not be able to provide a refund or credit during or after the illegal strike, with Oyedele stating that although there have been disruptions to collection, ‘the law does not permit ratepayers to withhold payment of their refuse charge’.
The entity encouraged residents and businesses to collaborate with the organisation in collecting and disposing of the waste which they urge residents to send to Pikitup-approved collection points.
Residents have gone to social media to request a refund from the organization:
https://twitter.com/RobForbesDJ/status/714799193102094336
It's nearly a month since #Pikitup did any refuse collection in Jozi. I'm assuming we will all get a months refund, right @CityofJoburgZA ?
— Alex Jay (@AlexJayZA) March 26, 2016
Why is #PikiTup on strike?
— ♡♥♡…Łeiģħ'Ɓoo..♡♥♡ (@Iam_Lebo_VW) March 21, 2016
