Thousands of municipal workers will go on strike across Gauteng on Thursday, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said on Wednesday.
It said members from Samwu, the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union and the Anti-Privatisation Forum plan to stage marches in central Pretoria, Vanderbijlpark, Germiston and Randfontein.
Samwu secretary general Silas Letsimo said the marches are to protest privatisation, casualisation, deteriorating service delivery and the installation of pre-paid water meters by various local councils.
Tshwane Metro Police director Mel Vosloo said about 10 000 people are expected to march from Church Square to Vermeulen Street, where they will deliver their grievances to the municipal officers.
There will be no march in Johannesburg, however.
Samwu president Petrus Mashishi said the union has signed an agreement with the Johannesburg municipality to respect the bargaining council agreement on restructuring.
”The union has reached agreement with the Johannesburg municipality to withdraw all the circulars that went out with a call not to respect the bargaining council’s agreement on the restructuring process,” Mashishi said.
Mashishi said that in Johannesburg, the trade union will only hold a rally to report back to its members on the agreement with the municipality.
”I think services in other municipalities except Johannesburg will be affected by the protest marches tomorrow,” Mashishi stated. — Sapa, I-Net Bridge