Johannesburg’s streets are piling up with rubbish as Samwu workers refuse to go back to work until their demand for R10 000 a month is met. It has so far cost the city more than R8.75-million as the 30 000 tons of waste that has piled up has become a serious health hazard.
The strike is entering its second week today and the cost of the unprotected strike by Pikitup workers will rise with the appointment of another refuse company.
Yesterday saw a massive clean-up operation with priority being given to Joubert Park, Hillbrow, Braamfontein, Fordsburg and Yeoville.
Disciplinary processes and legal action will be taken against those responsible for the intimidation, violence and damage to property that ensued.
Additional vehicles, plant, equipment and manpower have been made available to augment capacity at each of our depots.
However, the appointment of an external waste-remover is was wasteful expenditure and the money should rather be spent on increasing salaries.
These companies do not come cheap. [Pikitup] is prepared to spend a lot of money in a short space of time rather than implement a long-term solution, which is, to resolve the strike by augmenting workers salaries.
An agreement is expected to be met on Wednesday.
[source: timeslive]
