By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The City of Tshwane on Thursday axed an additional 55 employees, bringing the total number of workers fired over the illegal wage strike to 93.
“More dismissal letters are in the process of being issued to the striking employees,” said the City.
The City said the breakdown of the dismissed employees was as follows:
- 3 from Finance Department
- 14 from Region 4
- 17 from Region 3
- 9 from Region 2
- 12 from Energy & Electricity Department
Members affiliated to South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) downed tools against a planned 0% increase for workers, after the City said there was no money and insists “zero percent increases” will apply.
“The strike action has now entered the third week, despite the Labour Court having granted the city an interim interdict against the strike and declaring it to be unlawful and unprotected on 28 July 2023,” the City said.
“The court interdict has directed the striking employees to stop intimidating their co-workers and not to damage the City’s property and any public or private property.
“When it became clear that the striking employees were in contempt of court, the City approached the Labour Court again on an urgent basis last Friday for the enforcement of the interim interdict.”
On Monday, (7 August 2023), the judge refused to grant the City the contempt order, and instead asked it to identify the striking employees, together with the union leaders.
Despite the firings – and threats of more to come – the strikes have continued, with services suffering as a result.
The city has accused striking members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) of torching the city’s properties.
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink 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.