Staff Reporter.
The City of Tshwane has issued letters of intent to dismiss 41 of workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), who are still on strike over wage increases.
The municipal workers downed tools last week to protest various issues, including the non-payment of salary increases.
Workers are demanding 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases, an amount which City mayor Celliers Brink said the city cannot afford.
Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba says the city will approach the Labour Court on an urgent basis to enforce an interdict that was granted on Friday last week.
“The striking workers were interdicted and restrained from performing any acts of destruction of the City of Tshwane’s property and any private or public property, or from performing acts of intimidation to any of the city’s employees.
“The city manager has issued multiple ultimatums to the striking employees to return to work and to desist from intimidating their non-striking colleagues.
Bokaba says striking workers are holding residents to ransom by continuing to prevent their colleagues from performing their duties.
“The majority of the employees report for duty but are being prevented, intimidated, and victimised by their striking colleagues from executing their duties.
The city has put in place recovery plans to address the backlog resulting from the illegal strike action.
Turnaround times for attending to interruptions will be delayed due to the intimidation of employees, as a result a total of 15 employees have since been arrested and charged with public violence.