The workers aligned with the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) are not relenting, just as much as Pikitup is not considering firing its managing director, Amanda Nair, as demanded by the 4 000 striking workers.
With rubbish remaining uncollected, wealthy residents of upmarket suburbs are reportedly now hiring private refuse collectors to clean their neighbourhoods, while members of the Red Ants have been roped in to clean the streets in other suburbs in the interim and are falling prey to the striking workers who constantly attack them.
“This strike is taking its toll on us, the township is stinking and big rats are surfacing here,” complained Diana Ngcobo, a resident of Diepsloot Ext 2. Ngcobo warned that it was only a matter of time before an outbreak of disease occurred. She also said she was worried about the safety of children playing on the rubbish.
Salatiel Ngwenya of the same township lamented the piling up of rubbish in the streets. “The City of Johannesburg must just give the workers money so that they continue collecting rubbish because such an impasse is only hitting the poor hard. We are being punished for being poor,” said Ngwenya.
Dozens of other residents who spoke to Fourways Review over the Easter weekend complained about the ongoing strike.
Close to 4 000 workers who are currently on strike, are facing various charges of misconduct, including participating in an illegal strike.
City of Johannesburg Mayor, Parks Tau, told the media on 29 March that the Labour Court had declared the strike unprotected. Tau said the workers had ignored two court interdicts ordering them to return to work and three notices of dismissal for failing to return to work.
The unprotected strike is the fourth strike since November last year in a series of clashes between management and employees over salary increases and the demand for Nair’s dismissal.
