South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members are expected to converge on the Labour Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday to hear a final ruling on a secondary strike.
The hearing comes on the third day of a strike by Johannesburg municipal workers, who downed tools demanding free transport to and from work on municipal buses, an end to salary disparities and the introduction of performance management systems.
Samwu won the first round against the city at the court last week, which ruled that non-essential service workers and emergency service workers could strike.
The ruling followed a failed application by the city seeking an interdict to prevent the strike action.
The court ruled that the city had not complied with the five-day notice period required by law.
Union spokesperson Dumisani Langa said if the court ruled in their favour on Wednesday, they would rope in other Gauteng municipalities to join the strike.
”If the court says we can go ahead with a protected strike, we will serve all Gauteng municipalities with notices of a secondary strike,” said Langa.
City spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said Johannesburg had a solid case but that he did not want to comment further, pending the outcome of the court ruling.
Meanwhile, the union’s Eastern Cape members have given their assurance that if Samwu’s demands in Johannesburg were not met, they would support a secondary strike. – Sapa