Workers continue strike despite Samwu’s memorandum to return to work

It is D-day at the South African Local Government Bargaining Council today, as the City of Tshwane and striking workers wait to hear the outcome of their salary increase dispute.

Following nearly a month of interrupted service delivery, the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has announced it would distance itself from the illegal strike in the municipality.

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Samwu Tshwane secretary Precious Theledi said they had sent a memorandum to workers to return to work by Monday. Theledi said they could not account for the workers still striking because Samwu issued clear instructions for members to return to work.

Samwu’s call ‘weeks late’

Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink welcomed the call by Samwu for striking employees to return to work.

“This is what we have been calling for, for weeks, and unfortunately that call by the leadership to return to work is weeks late,” he said.

Brink said the strike on the ground was not over.

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“We are still seeing significant work stoppages where workers come to work and refuse to take instructions and acts of violence and intimidation towards staff and service providers,” he said.

Brink said the call to return to work must be taken a step further to resonate with those still striking.

“The strike is not over. This fiveweek unlawful and unprotected strike has done significant damage to the city, (with) employees being shot, service providers attacked and the property being damaged.”

He said in the most recent incident, a fire hydrant was blocked with cement, preventing firefighters from doing their work and attend to a fire.

Over the weekend, various fires were reported across the city, including in the Pretoria West and the northern parts of the Magaliesberg, near the Wonderboom Nature Reserve.

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“We’ve also seen the trust relationship between the residents and the city deteriorating because of services not being delivered. Even if the workers return to work, there are costs associated with the strike that we will have to bear for a significant amount of time,” he said.

Brink added he would continue to fight for a city where the rule of law was upheld and one where there were consequences for criminal conduct.

Striking workers to feel pinch

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the striking workers will feel the pinch in their salaries.

“It’s now the end of the month and the strike has entered its fourth week, while the payment of salaries was scheduled for the end of the week,” he said.

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“Then they will realise when there’s no money coming into their accounts on Friday that the strike was not worth it.”