City relieved as waste removal workers strike ends
The City of Johannesburg has welcomed the end of a two-week strike at its waste removal entity, Pikitup and urged residents to be patient as a clean-up operation by workers gets underway on Friday.
“The quality of life of our people has been affected by the strike. We know that many would want the waste – which is really an eyesore – to be removed as soon as possible. We want the same too,” said MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Matshidiso Mfikoe.
“We would like to appeal to residents to bear in mind that that we are now dealing with is a massive backlog accumulated over a considerable period. We intend to move with speed to ensure our streets are cleaned as soon as possible.”
The strike ended on Thursday after an intervention by Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo. The members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) demanded salary hikes from R6000 to R10000. They also demanded the resignation of managing director Amanda Nair.
Mamabolo said his intervention started with meetings from Monday, resulting in an agreement that was signed on Thursday.
“The parties resolved to enter into a mutually beneficial agreement to relieve the residents of Johannesburg of the inconvenience brought to bear on their quality of life by the ongoing unprotected strike with legitimate workers’ demands,” said MEC Mamabolo.
“Acting on behalf of the Gauteng provincial government, I have appointed senior counsel, advocate Azhar Bham to work with the parties to facilitate the resolution of the dispute by creating a positive and conducive climate for engagement between parties, and provide strategic support to the process.”
A court interdict obtained by Pickitup against the strikers last week was ignored, with rubbish piling up on street corners across the Johannesburg CBD and residential areas.
At least four contract workers, employed to remove waste were shot at and wounded on Tuesday. Pickitup workers were expected back at work on Friday.