Johannesburg municipal workers may go on strike next week, the South African Municipal Workers’ (Samwu) Union announced on Tuesday.
Samwu branch secretary Dumisani Langa said workers might embark on a protected strike as their issues are not being resolved. They would number at least 10 000, he said.
Samwu has been trying for six years to negotiate solutions for many problems facing workers in Johannesburg, to no avail.
”We will meet with city bosses [on Tuesday] in a final attempt to avert the strike,” Langa said. ”In the absence of anything positive coming from today’s meeting, the industrial action will go ahead.”
Workers want issues of wages, transport, performance, fixed contracts and casualisation of labour to be addressed.
The city’s labour relations director, Phillip Lebelo, said he could not comment on the matter.
Municipal spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said he was not present at the meeting and was unaware of the outcome. ”But if they do go on strike on Monday, there are many procedures that need to be followed for a march.”
He could not comment further. — Sapa