Municipal employees on verge of fourth strike, suspension letters to be served today
The municipal civic centre is closed and office personnel all gathered in the parking lot, too afraid to enter the municipal buildings.
The traffic department phones HTS Middelburg and Hoërskool Middelburg earlier this morning, informing both schools that the department would not escort the schools with their Derby convoys, because a strike was declared.
Other municipal employees are all gathered at the municipal magasyn where a meeting is taking place.
According to a number of councillors the situation is very tense and could result in a full blown strike.
Acting Municipal Manager, Ms Thokozile Zulu, is currently in a meeting with the provincial department of cooperative governance to avert the fourth strike since September last year, the first of which lasted more than two months.
A number of municipal employees caused havoc at the civic centre yesterday, where Ms Zulu was doused with water, and members of the public pushed and shoved.
The employees barged into a service delivery meeting in the council chamber, where officials and councillors addressed members of the public, including the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on services issues.
A short video supplied to www.mobserver.co.za shows the moment the unruly employees break through the chamber doors.
Despite attempts to cover their faces, a number of the unruly employees were identified by municipal officials.
Www.mobserver.co.za has reliably learnt that a number of suspension letters, addressed to employees involved with yesterday’s commotion, which may have resulted in the current situation out of support for the employees facing disciplinary action.
The suspension letters will be issued to employees today.
Employees have locked the civic centre’s doors and the public is urged to avoid the municipal buildings.
