Tshwane accuses Samwu of continued intimidation, violence
The City of Tshwane has accused striking members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) of torching the city’s properties.
Workers affiliated with Samwu downed tools in July in what the city has labelled an illegal strike.
The municipal workers are unhappy over various issues, including the non-payment of salary increases.
Workers are demanding 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases, an amount that Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink said the city cannot afford.
Brink is adamant that the city’s dire financial state means it cannot afford to pay any salary increases to municipal workers.
The city’s spokesperson Selby Bokaba said that even though there had been sporadic incidents of violence, the situation is under control.
Bokaba said the city has deployed law enforcement officials to safeguard the city.
“The gameplan of striking employees today (Thursday) is to set fire to the city's properties. The disaster operation centre is deployed accordingly. The situation across the city is under control. We have deployed police in clinics where patients and staff were intimidated by striking employees. We have contained the situation.”
The union has denied the allegations of violence and intimidation.
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