A meeting between striking municipal workers’ unions and the South African Local Government Association (Salga) continued on Monday afternoon with no new developments, a union spokesperson said.
”We are in exactly the same position,” said Roger Ronnie of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), as rubbish bins remained un-emptied and bus commuters made other arrangements.
As the talks continued, Samwu members gathered around the country for further protest action in support of their pay demands.
Salga has put in place a 6% wage increase against the unions’ demands of a R3 000 guaranteed minimum wage or an 8% or R350 increase, whichever is the greatest.
Earlier, police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to control a crowd in Benoni that had started damaging traffic lights.
Spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman warned union leadership that they will be held liable for any damage caused by striking union members.
Ronnie said the Samwu strike will continue indefinitely.
”Workers haven’t taken the decision to strike lightly and they understand that it might involve sacrifices,” he said.
The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union is participating in the talks, but not in the renewed strike action.
Arrests in KwaZulu-Natal
In KwaZulu-Natal, police arrested 43 striking municipal employees on Monday, as striking Samwu members took to the streets throughout the province.
Police said 43 people were arrested in Pinetown just outside Durban after a crowd of 300 marchers went on the rampage and overturned rubbish bins in the streets.
”They were charged with public violence, malicious injury to property and with illegal marching. Three of them were also charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act for carrying legal [licensed] weapons during a public march,” said police spokesperson Captain Rani John.
In Westville, two men were arrested for illegal marching and damage to property as marchers overturned bins.
In Amanzimtoti, John said, 200 people also overturned bins but police managed to calm them down and disperse the group.
She said although nobody was arrested, a docket was opened for illegal marching.
Early on Monday morning, eThekwini municipal manager Mike Sutcliffe said a shop steward had threatened workers at a water depot in Hammarsdale, while in New Germany people had been forced out of a parks department building by strikers.
”We have sent our attorney to Pinetown and Westville and we still waiting for a report on the charges and bail,” Samwu provincial spokesperson Jaycee Ncanana said on Monday afternoon.
He said a union member was also arrested in Tongaat and charged with possession of an unlawful firearm. — Sapa