Disgruntled municipal workers disrupted a meeting of the Tshwane Bargaining Council in Centurion on Tuesday and held officials there against their will.
Tshwane Metro Council spokesperson William Baloyi said the group was angry about an apparent double deduction from their bank accounts in lieu of loan repayments.
”This had absolutely nothing to do with the meeting of the bargaining chamber, but the employees took advantage of the meeting to ask the municipality to intervene,” Baloyi said.
The protesters apparently barged into the meeting at about 9am, demanding intervention. When officials attending the meeting decided to move it elsewhere, they were preventing from leaving until noon.
Baloyi condemned the manner in which the workers chose to highlight their grievances, but said the council has arranged a meeting between them and the bank in question.
Tuesday’s meeting was a regular gathering of council representatives and unions to discuss issues related to conditions of service.
The Democratic Alliance also criticised the workers’ behaviour.
”Unruly, disruptive chanting and the physical denial of freedom of movement of councillors and employees of the council is to be condemned for what it is — intimidation. Democracy and democratic process itself was today under attack,” DA councillor Derek Fleming said in a statement. — Sapa