Pikitup staff across Johannesburg will resume operations over the weekend after they stopped working when transport services were withdrawn by the utility due to safety concerns.
Image: Tiro Ramatlhatse / Independent Newspapers Archives
The City of Johannesburg’s waste management utility, Pikitup, will resume its services this weekend after several areas across the municipality were adversely affected by a two-day work stoppage by some of its workers.
Workers at all the entity’s 12 depots downed tools on Wednesday and Thursday over a number of grievances including the suspension of the provision of transport services from home to work due to safety concerns.
On Friday, Pikitup announced that it will implement a waste collection recovery plan this weekend to address the backlogs caused by this week’s two-day work stoppage.
The stoppage led to the suspension of scheduled waste collection across all depot areas.
Pikitup will be clearing the backlogs and depots will be collecting waste on Saturday and Sunday.
A revised schedule has been issued and Pikitup advised residents to visit its website and social media platforms to view the waste recovery plan.
It also requested residents to place their bins outside for collection on the respective days.
According to the entity, the work stoppage was prompted by employees in all depots demanding the continuation of transport services that were previously provided for commuting between home and work.
Pikitup suspended these services due to safety concerns raised by the taxi industry’s claim that they are legally authorised to transport employees.
The utility held discussions with stakeholders to resolve the matter and apologised for the inconvenience caused as it worked to restore normal waste collection services.
Joburg mayor Dada Morero’s office and senior Pikitup management worked to resolve the dispute between the two parties and the city assured residents that the employees’ grievances were being urgently addressed.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za