By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
City of Tshwane Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink has welcomed the end of the five-week-long strike by members affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU).
SAMWU members embarked on a strike at the end of July to protest the non-payment of salary increases.
The strike disrupted services such as electricity outage repairs, water restoration and refuse removal.
There were also reports of non-striking employees being intimidated and attacked, with the city obtaining an interdict against the striking workers.
Brink says Samwu’s call for employees to return to work comes five weeks too late.
“This is what we have been calling for five weeks. Unfortunately, that call by SAMWU’s leadership is late. We are still seeing significant people coming to work and refusing to take instructions. We are also still seeing acts of violence and intimidation directed at staff and service providers.
“I would encourage the leadership of Samwu to take a step further and to try and have these messages resonate among their members even further than it has. The strike has done significant damage to the city.”
He adds that the trust relationship between the city and the residents has deteriorated due to the lack of service delivery.
“Even if there is a complete return to services, there are costs associated with this unprotected strike that we will have to bear for a certain period of time.”
Last week Municipal manager Johan Mettler and Brink issued letters of dismissal against more than 90 municipal workers for taking part in the strike.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Tshwane has called for the reinstatement of municipal workers fired for participating in the unlawful and unprotected strike.
EFF regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said the party was the vanguard of the working class and “stands in solidarity with both the workers of Tshwane and the residents of Tshwane”.
“We therefore call for the reinstatement of the workers who are breadwinners of their families. The inhumane treatment by the City needs to be contained before we put this city further into chaos,” he said.
The EFF caucus in council also asked Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana to convene a special council meeting for the purpose of discussing the issues related to striking workers and the collapse of service delivery.