The SA Municipal Workers’ nation-wide strike got into full swing on Tuesday despite threats of disciplinary action by some municipalities in the Free State, Samwu claimed.
Samwu representative Anna Weekes said members in parts of the province had earlier been ”intimidated” into going to work with threats of disciplinary action, including dismissal.
”Salga has developed a disturbing practice in the Free State of threatening workers with disciplinary action and dismissal if they participate in the strike. This is highly illegal as the strike is
protected,” Weekes said.
Free State Samwu representative Keke Moabi said all municipalities in the province were already at a standstill by 10am, despite attempts by authorities in Xhariep, Kopanong, Mohokare and Bethlehem to force employees in essential services not to participate.
Moabi said these municipalities had refused to negotiate with the union to provide skeleton staff at essential services such as ambulances and fire departments as was the case nationally.
Moabi said picketing in various parts, including big industrial areas such as Kroonstad, Sasolburg and
Qwa-Qwa, were meanwhile underway, while a provincial march would be staged at Memel near Vrede on Wednesday.
”We have chosen Memel as the target of our provincial march because it is there that employees are exploited the most, with some still earning a meagre R500 per month,” she said.
Meanwhile electric depots in the Johannesburg area were virtually shut down with close to 2 000 employees in the Selby, Ruven and Soweto main depots all on strike.
Samwu official Andrew Nkoenyane said that employees from Soweto were marching to the local stadium in Pimville where they would assemble, while in Midrand workers from all the area’s depots were demonstrating in the streets.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 2 000 members of the rival, non-striking Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Unions (Imatu) were said to have joined the 10 000 Samwu strikers picketing at the municipal offices in Durban’s city centre and the surrounding towns of
Tongaat, Verulam, Umhlanga, Amanzimtoti and Pinetown.
Refuse removal in the whole of Cape Town was at a halt with no vehicles in sight.
Weekes said the strike organisers estimated that 70% of the workforce had downed tools, while only 20% were
performing essential services.
Workers assembled at the Keisergracht before marching to the Civic Centre.
In Limpopo Province a total of 2 000 employees, excluding the essential service workers, gathered at the Polokwane (Pietersburg) and Mokopane civic centres respectively, while a 90% absence was reported in places such as Modimolle (Nylstroom), Thabazimbi, Vaalwater, Bela-Bela (Warmbaths), Lephalale (Ellisras) and Naboomspruit.
In the North West, all branches — with a total membership of 4 000 — heeded the strike call although Madibeng Council workers were allegedly intimidated by management. In Ventersdorp police
allegedly tried to arrest the picketers before letting the protest go ahead peacefully.
In the Eastern Cape, all the workers in the Amatola branch picketed at the King Williams Town city hall.
About 360 workers from eight smaller municipalities with under 50 members in the Kokstad area met at a stadium before marching to the council chambers.
The same occurred at Umtata, while in Grahamstown about 380 workers protested outside the Grahamstown Arts Festival.
Essential services workers were scheduled to join the protests at lunchtime. – Sapa