Burning tyres and trees block a road Phoenix on Wednesday. Residents were angry at having no water or electricity for more than a week because of the strike by municipal workers which started last month. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — Two unions have alleged that eThekwini Municipality suspended and dismissed their members over the illegal South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) strike despite the fact that they did not participate.
The Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union (Imatu) and Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa (Matusa) said they did not support the strike, but their members had also been punished.
They said their members could not report for duty during the two-week strike because they feared for their lives as a result of death threats from their colleagues who were on strike.
eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda told the media on Wednesday that Samwu had on Tuesday agreed to call off its violent strike and engage in salary discussions with the city.
Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana declined to respond to Imatu and Matusa’s allegations.
“eThekwini Municipality will not engage any labour union through the media,” she said.
“There is a formal Bargaining Council structure where all labour matters are discussed.”
Imatu’s eThekwini chairperson Queen Mbatha said that this week the municipality had been issuing dismissal letters to members of her union.
“Whoever did not work after the final ultimatum, that was Thursday, Friday, Monday and yesterday, received letters that they must respond to within 10 days as to why they should not be dismissed.
“But the municipality had gone ahead to dismiss them,” she said.
She said the union was assisting individual members to deal with the council’s heavy-handed approach.
She said striking workers had prevented their non-striking colleagues from entering their workplaces or depots.
“A place like Electron Road in Springfield Park, which has all the depots you can think of, such as DSW, water, electricity and engineering, was blocked.
“Everybody there was dragged out of the office. The same thing happened in Pinetown,” she said.
She said Imatu had told its members to report for duty but demanded security. But members feared they might be attacked outside workplaces while on their way to and from work.
Kaunda told a media briefing on Wednesday that 81 employees who participated in the illegal strike had been placed on precautionary suspension for various acts of misconduct, while 1891 others “have been given notices of misconduct”.
“Eighty-eight employees have been dismissed for their participation in the unlawful industrial action which started on February 27.
“Disciplinary hearings were scheduled for March 13, 14, 15 and 18,” he said.
He said the municipality was closely following court appearances of scores of others who had been charged with various criminal offences related to the strike.
Mutasa’s eThekwini secretary Thokozani Maxego said his union did not participate because the strike was illegal but its members received threats when they reported for duty.
“The employer proposed to arrange security for non-striking workers but we are talking about employees who rely on public transport. There are people who were attacked on public transport,” Maxego said.
Despite the municipality’s assurance that the strike was over, Westville Ratepayers Association chairperson Asad Gaffer on Friday told SAfm that workers were reporting for duty but not going out to work.
“The city is claiming that the strike is over, but the challenge is that the workers are going to the depots, but they are not leaving the depots, and in our opinion that is still a strike. What is the point of going to work if you are not willing to go on the road to do what you are supposed to do?
“All you are doing is ticking the box and complying with the court order but you are not willing to go out and execute your work. In essence, that is still a strike,” said Gaffer.
Independent on Saturday