Samwu to intensify Pikitup strike
JOBURG – Despite MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department condemning the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) for embarking on an unprotected work stoppage, the union vowed to intensify the strike action at Pikitup and will be including all workers from the City of Johannesburg in solidarity with Pikitup workers.
Samwu deputy general secretary Simon Mathe said the the union has made every effort to engage the ‘Arrogant and stubborn management’ of Pikitup. However Mathe said they were disappointed to report that there have been no positive outcomes as there was no logical conclusion in the interest of municipal workers. “Rubbish is piling up in Johannesburg posing potential health risk for residents especially children in informal settlements and townships. “Despite this, Pikitup does not think that the situation has reached crisis point, they bluntly refuse to have meaningful engagements with us aimed at resolving the impulse. All they know is to deploy military style private security companies to intimidate workers. Workers’ grievances are genuine and will not be overshadowed by the arrogance of the employer,” He said.
Mathe said they were worried about the excessive force which they have been applied by the police on unarmed. He stated that they wanted the issue of the use of casual workers at the waste management entity to be abolished. “This is in line with the recently amended Labour Relations Act which clearly states that any employee employed for a period of three months should automatically be employed on permanent basis,” Mathe said. The union its statent stated that Pikitup continues with this practice because they do not want to pay workers decent wages including benefits such as medical aid, pension and housing. “They [Pikitup] have even gone to an extent of implementing Jozi at Work programme which is also aimed at displacing workers. Our view is that all municipal services should be rendered by municipal workers who are directly employed by municipalities on a permanent basis,” he said.
Mathe said they were ready to return to work but will only do so once all their grievances have been addressed by management. “We will therefore be intensifying our strike action at Pikitup and will be including all workers from the City of Johannesburg, Ekhuruleni and Tshwane who will be going on strike in solidarity with Pikitup workers. Unless some sort of divine intervention is achieved, we will bring Gauteng province to a standstill.
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