Guards protecting Pikitup staff held
|Published
030413. Barloworld Offices, City Deep in Johannesburg. A man walk past PIKITUP's new trucks fleet which were handed-over today by Barloworld. Picture: Dumisani Sibeko. 030413. Barloworld Offices, City Deep in Johannesburg. A man walk past PIKITUP's new trucks fleet which were handed-over today by Barloworld. Picture: Dumisani Sibeko.
Johannesburg - Employees of a private security company engaged by Pikitup to escort trucks collecting refuse were arrested at the weekend for allegedly carrying unlicensed firearms.
Pikitup had to hire a private security company after the strike by its employees turned violent in some depots, resulting in intimidation when striking workers tried to block trucks from leaving the depots.
But Pikitup spokeswoman Desiree Ntshingila denied the security guards were arrested, saying they were detained briefly and let go.
On Wednesday, an SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) shop steward at Pikitup, Bafana Dube, told The Star he had witnessed the arrests of the employees of the private security company at the Roodepoort depot on Friday.
“We alerted police when we saw the security guards wearing private clothes, carrying rusty firearms. They came and searched their cars. They ordered them to lie on the ground and they were arrested,” said Dube.
A police officer who was at the scene said they arrested the men because they were in possession of unlicensed firearms.
Ntshingila denied the security guards were carrying unlicensed firearms.
She said one of the security guards had gone to the bathroom, leaving his firearm unattended.
Ntshingila said police officers arrived at the scene, searched the vehicles belonging to the security company and found a firearm.
“The owner of the firearm was taken to the police station just to verify if the firearm was licensed,”she said.
Ntshingila said the man was allowed to go home afterwards.
But Dube lashed at out at Pikitup management, saying they were hiring criminals.
Meanwhile, Ntshingila said suspension letters were issued last Thursday to 1 799 striking employees.
She said disciplinary action would be taken against the employees, and this would be finalised by the end of this week.
Dube hit back, saying they had not received the suspension letters.
He said they were not on strike, but wanted Pikitup to provide safe transport for them to go to work, as had happened in the past.
Ntshingila said Pikitup would use contractors to collect refuse. But a manager from one of the depots said scab labour was inexperienced.
“They are slow. They take too long to finish their rounds because they are not trained. It’s not easy to handle dustbins. This is what is causing backlogs in other areas,” he added.
Pikitup employees had not returned to work on Wednesday.
The Star