October 2, 2007
By Lesego Madumo
MEMBERS of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) downed tools yesterday, starting a two-day strike over grievances with the City council.
However, Gabu Tugwana, the director of communications in the City, said no City services had stopped as 60 to 90 percent of workers had reported for duty on Monday, 1 October, the first day of the strike.
The Johannesburg metropolitan police department was the hardest hit.
Among other things, the striking workers are demanding equal pay for all their members who have equal credentials.
Wearing their colourful union regalia, about 7 500 strikers gathered at Beyers Naude Square in the central business district. There were large contingents of metro police and workers from emergency management services, Pikitup, Joburg Water and Metrobus, among others.
Mounted police kept a watchful eye on striking municipal workers outside the metro building
Motorists were hit hard, with traffic coming to a standstill while strikers marched through town to the metro offices in Braamfontein. Rain added to the traffic congestion.
Speaking on behalf of the strikers, Moatlhodi Mongale, a Samwu Johannesburg branch chairman, confirmed that the union had embarked on a two-day strike aimed at getting the City council to address some of their "bread and butter issues, among other grievances".
On Wednesday, 3 October, the union would seek an interdict from the high court to prolong the march indefinitely. However, Samwu was also ready to negotiate. "We are prepared to talk and negotiate, but so far nobody has approached us," he said.
Samwu wanted the City to bring back the workers' free transport system; in the past workers had been ferried to work. "We want that transport system to be reinstated for workers who stay far away," Mongale said.
Tugwana said the strike had already turned ugly, with union members phoning the City's call centre to threaten staff who were still working. The City understood and respected the right of workers to go on strike, however, he said, "They should do it in sobriety. The issue of indiscipline is unacceptable."
He urged union members to come to the table and discuss their grievances.
Although no City services had been brought to a halt yet, should the strike endure indefinitely, the City had contingency plans to avert problems.
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