Forty waste collection workers dismissed for preventing collection of waste

The metro has moved swiftly to deal with the 40 unruly waste collection workers who engaged in gross misconduct by constantly rendering waste collection services mainly in Kempton Park unworkable.

It is alleged that on Saturday the workers went on a rampage, harassing, assaulting and intimidating a crew that was doing round collections.

In that incident a truck driver and an operator were doused with petrol, but managed to escape uninjured before their truck was set alight.

Other incidents of lawless implicating the dismissed employees include:

• Using municipal trucks to prevent vehicles that are used for litter pickers and transfer station employees from exiting the depot, thus disrupting service delivery. The perpetrators were not even scheduled to perform functions on February 1 and their presence at the depot can only be construed to have been for the purposes of disrupting the operations of the employer.

• Four trucks belonging to service providers were turned away and they could not render the service to the public.

• Municipal employees left their work station last Tuesday to intimidate and harass private contractors who were busy with refuse removal rounds in another area.

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The metro has summarily terminated employment of these 40 waste collection workers based at the Kempton Park Waste Depot with immediate effect in accordance with labour relations legislation which provides for summary dismissal in circumstances that call for dispensing with the pre-dismissal procedures.

The metro views this conduct as constituting exceptional circumstances as envisaged in Schedule 8 (4), sub-section 4 of the Labour Relations Act, whereby pre-dismissal procedures may be dispensed with.

The metro views the appalling conduct of these employees as rendering their continued employment intolerable.

The conduct of these employees is clearly endangering the lives and safety of people in the municipality, as well as service providers, and there is a high propensity for the continuation of damages to the property of the municipality and service providers should these persons continue in the service of the municipality.

The metro will implement an operational plan for clearing of waste collection backlog and continued rendering of the services in a safe environment for its waste collection workers.