Durban — The eThekwini Municipality said it is taking action against staff that are under performing in line with the relevant labour relations regulation prescripts.
This is after parts of the Durban CBD were reportedly “a mess of trash and litter” after the CSW workers downed tools in solidarity with the street sweepers who were suspended.
An eThekwini municipality cleansing and solid waste unit (CSW) employee claimed that they are being ill-treated, threatened with suspension and their working hours have been cut without notification.
The employee, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of being victimised, said that they have tolerated being treated this way by their managers for months. The employee claimed that their grievances were not dealt with.
“The unit management treats us as less beings, all because we sweep the streets, while they sit comfortably in their cushy, warm, air-conditioned offices. They have no regard for what we go through on a daily basis cleaning the streets of eThekwini, making them clean, tidy and beautiful for the Durban residents.
“All they are good at is to make decisions that affect our lives unilaterally without involving us. To suddenly hear that our work hours have been cut, and then further to be threatened with the ‘no work, no pay’ demands, while they know exactly what the problems are unacceptable,” anonymous fumed.
The DA PR councillor Mzamo Billy said there were allegations of infighting between senior officials at CSW, affecting the work supposed to be done by this unit.
Billy further stated that the people in the CSW unit were afraid to talk. Billy added that indeed the workers did down tools because they were angry at not being consulted about their working hours being cut.
The employee claimed that the workers were not suspended but those who were involved in the downing of tools have been removed from the past weekend shift.
EThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said: “It is not true that the CBD was not cleaned over the weekend, but management is taking relevant action against staff that are under performing in line with the relevant labour relations regulation prescripts.
“EPWP staff have been engaged to set a performance standard that we want to maintain during the week and the weekends. This was achieved because the City’s main priority is to provide efficient service delivery.”
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Daily News