Johannesburg streets were trashed this week. Picture: Supplied
Officials at Johannesburg refuse collection agency Pikitup have been accused of selling permanent jobs for R5 000 per position.
Refuse piled up and trash was strewn across Joburg streets, gates to dumping sites were reportedly locked, and workers allegedly threatened others as a strike gripped the city this week.
A video circulating on social media shows frustrated workers believed to be contractors, explaining that the recruitment processes at the municipal entity were unfair.
They claim to be earning around R100 a day and accuse officials of hiring friends and family for permanent positions.
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“We applied for these jobs but none of us were shortlisted. We demand to know what the criteria for shortlisting is,” said a Pikitup contract worker.
The workers claimed that they had taken the contract jobs in the hope that one day they will be permanent.
“We have families we want those jobs. We are tired of the bribes at Pilkitup,” said another worker.
Pikitup spokesperson Muzi Mkhwanazi said the municipal entity was aware of the problems resulting from the disturbances at Pikitup depots.
He said services would be disrupted in some parts of the City of Johannesburg as casual workers, whose contracts are about to expire, are allegedly forcefully demanding jobs from the waste management company.
“Pikitup Management is actively exploring various options to normalise the situation and restore service delivery in the affected depot areas.
“Efforts include engaging with protesting casual workers to find amicable solutions and deploying security measures that will enable employees to leave the depots to service the community,” he said.
WATCH: An update on the strike
Workers embarked on a march to Pikitup on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum of grievances concerning outsourcing, remuneration, personal protective equipment and alleged corruption.
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Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union (DEMAWUSA) general secretary Meshack Ntshaubeng told The Citizen workers were tired of being exploited.
“We are demanding the insourcing of contract workers and we are also demanding the banning of the tendering system within Pikitup. We are demanding the establishment of the employee-shared scheme for the staff to benefit from the work of the City,” he said.
Ntsubeng said the Pikitup had refused to accept DEMAWUSA’s memorandum accusing the union of not being recognized.
Ntsaubeng said the union would be taking the municipal entity to the labour court.
“The way forward is that we are going to file on Monday we will be in court and we will be arguing due diligence these contractors they have do not even have offices,” he said.
The Citizens understands that workers trashed the streets of the Johannesburg CBD on their way back from the march leaving most of the streets filled with garbage.
However, Ntsaubeng denied that DEMAWUSA members were responsible for trashing the streets.
“The issue of the rubbish is not our members it could be a rival union that wanted to smear us,” he said.
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