Municipal workers protest in Durban

eThekweni municipal workers reportedly embarked on a strike in the Durban central business district, leading to traffic congestion.

According to other reports, earlier the N3 leading to the city, in the vicinity of the Pinetown area, was blockaded with municipal trucks.

It was reported that the protesting workers are from Durban Solid Waste and the city’s department of water and sanitation. As a result, service delivery has come to a halt in the city, reports Berea Mail.

On Monday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the province claimed that the ongoing strike in the department had been fuelled by city officials who allegedly flouted the HR process in order to hire Umkhonto weSizwe veterans.

The party’s KZN premier candidate, Zwakele Mncwango, said in a statement: “The hiring of MK veterans led to general staff being paid more than their senior counterparts, an issue union leaders called to be resolved, and were ignored.”

It was reported that the striking workers are demanding to be paid the same amount as the MK veterans.

Workers are demanding that they also be given a Grade 10 salary increase, which MK veterans were given.

Attempts to obtain comments from the municipality were unsuccessful.

Motorists are urged to stay away from areas such as Dr Yusuf Dadoo (Grey)/Dr AB Xuma (Commercial) Streets, Soldiers Way/Monty Naicker (Pine) Road, Dorothy Nyembe (Gardner)/Dr Pixley KaSeme (West) Streets, Samore Machel (Aliwal)/Anton Lembede (Smith)/Joe Slovo (Field) Streets and Megacity.

KZN SAPS spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala said it is alleged that 1500 municipal workers blockaded the road leading to the city hall.

“No case has been opened and no injuries have been reported. Police are in the area monitoring the situation,” Gwala said.

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