MEMBERS of the public are urged to stop dumping their refuse outside the Grays Inn Garden refuse site on The Bluff.
Ward 66 councillor Zoë Solomon called on the residents from The Bluff and surroundings to stop dumping outside the site as this causes a backlog for Durban Solid Waste.
Also read: Strike halts DSW services
“Despite constant requests sent out to the community not to dump outside the dumpsite, people did not heed the call. eThekwini Municipality has also issued a statement appealing to residents to not dump outside the sites, however, people are not willing to obey the instructions.
“We call on the residents to stop dumping there as this causes problems to the wider community. When the truck drivers return to the site to collect the refuse, they will not be able to get in due to a pile of refuse at the entrance of the site,” said Solomon.
“DSW is still experiencing challenges and has not resumed collections. They are, however, working on a recovery plan to clear the backlog – when they are able to resume collections,” said Solomon.
The Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW) advises the public of the temporary disruption of garden refuse site services due to the unauthorised strike action.
“This has affected all garden refuse sites across eThekwini Municipality. The City requests residents not to take their garden refuse to garden refuse sites but to keep it on their properties until further notice,” eThekwini Municipality said in a statement.
Service delivery in eThekwini Municipality has hit a snag as Durban Solid Waste (DSW) workers embarked on an illegal strike, demanding equal pay with counterparts in other South African metros.
Also read: Rubbish dumped on N2 northbound near old Durban airport causes obstruction
Striking municipal workers were not deterred by a court interdict that the municipality obtained at the Durban High Court. The court’s decision comes amidst an unauthorised and unlawful labour unrest that erupted on February 27 and has impacted some operations of the municipality and service delivery.
The interdict against striking employees, as well as those who are members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union, prohibits any unlawful conduct, acts of violence and interference with the City’s activities, services and operations.
Also read: WATCH: Resident turns dumping hotspot into community garden
It further restrains the striking employees from intimidating, harassing, assaulting, threatening or perpetrating acts of violence against employees, service providers or those accessing offices or workstations.
The order also mandates employees to comply with their contracts of employment and comply with the act, as committing unlawful conduct constitutes misconduct, and this could result in disciplinary action.
For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.
