Municipal workers vow to halt services

Municipal workers vowed on Monday to bring services to a halt around the country as a strike for a massive 18 percent wage increase got underway.

Workers took to the streets of Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Tshwane, Johannesburg and only KwaZulu-Natal was quiet as icy weather gripped the province.

“We have learnt that Salga (SA Local Government Association) only responds once they are pressurised,” said SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) spokesman Tahir Sema.

“Workers started downing tools from this morning (Monday).”

Samwu members are demanding an 18 percent pay hike and have rejected a six percent increase made to workers by the employer body, Salga said.

“We are demanding 18 percent or R2000, whichever is greater,” said Sema.

Salga spokeswoman Milisa Kentane said their offer stood at 6.08 percent.

“Our doors remain open (for talks),” she said.

“But 18 percent is just not an option. Our municipalities will be unable to carry that.”

In Cape Town workers banged on bins and made fires out of trash on the avenue outside the city's offices.

SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) official Mario Jacobs, who stood on the back of a bakkie in front of a wall of barbed wire, urged the protesters to call for Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille to receive their memorandum.

“Patricia de Zille, she must come and receive our memorandum herself, Jacobs said, alluding to the close partnership between De Lille and Western Cape premier Helen Zille.

“Patricia de Lille earns R1.4 million a year, a Samwu worker makes R4300 a month. That is disgusting.”

Jacobs told the crowd to return to the same place on Tuesday to continue with the protest for Samwu's demand for the 18 percent increase.

City of Cape Town deputy mayor Ian Neilson told the protesters that the city appreciated their contribution to communities in the city.

“We understand you want higher wages,” he said. “And we accept your right to have a strike in a legal way. I will take your memorandum to the mayor and we will give a considered response to it.”

As Neilson left the bakkie where he had received the memo, the crowd chanted “voertsek six percent, voertsek”.

A few members of the crowd then pelted riot police, with onions and sticks.

The city has accused municipal workers of intimidating their colleagues into taking part in the strike.

“The city has noticed a concerning trend whereby union members are coming to work and trying to intimidate their colleagues into participating in the strike and hindering the delivery of municipal services,” the city said in a statement.

It said it had to temporarily close the Khayelitsha Fire Station, the Masiphumelele and Fish Hoek clinics and the driving licence testing centres at Khayelitsha and Fish Hoek after staff were intimidated.

A City of Johannesburg official said all essential services were running in the city, despite the strike.

So far no problems were reported at various departments and municipal-owned entities, which include Pikitup, Joburg Water, Metrobus, City Power, Revenue and Customer Services.

“The situation at the city's clinics was positive and all clinics are open and operating,” spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said in a statement.

In the City of Tshwane, only 17 percent workers failed to report for duty as the national municipal workers strike started.

A majority of the workers who reported for duty were those in the waste management division, spokesman Pieter de Necker said in a statement.

“All bus drivers and workers in the transport department reported for the first shift of the day.”

It was not clear why these workers, many of whom were members of Samwu, did not stay away as was planned, De Necker said.

In Bloemfontein, workers marched peacefully to the Bram Fischer building, the main administrative building of the Mangaung Metro Municipality.

Mangaung metro spokesman Qondile Khedama said no services at the metro were disrupted on Monday.

In KwaZulu-Natal strikers stayed at home as chilly weather gripped the province.

“We planned a number of pickets but very few people attended because of the cold weather. The weather has disrupted our plans,” said Samwu provincial secretary Jaycee Ncanana.

Ncanana said a massive march would take place in Durban on Friday and that other protests would take place in Pietermaritzburg and Port Shepstone on Thursday. - Sapa