The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) nationwide strike continued on Wednesday, and would do so indefinitely, a spokesperson said.
“Until some sort of resolve is reached with Salga, this strike will continue,” union spokesperson Tahir Sema said.
On Tuesday, a bid by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) to prohibit the industrial action was withdrawn in the Labour Court, with Salga ordered to carry the strikers’ costs of opposing the application.
In Port Elizabeth on Tuesday a group workers overturned dustbins and scattered litter around the municipal office, but police kept their distance as there was no damage to property, said spokesperson Captain Johan Rheede.
In Durban, about 30 people picketed outside the city hall, dressed in red union T-shirts, dancing and singing with placards that read: “Workers cannot afford to pay for their water and electricity, salaries not affording” and “Municipalities must pay same salaries for grades”.
They marched into the city’s treasury department and demanded that people in the building stop working, before a security guard closed the doors, leaving them singing outside.
About 12 000 Samwu members were expected at a march in Durban on Thursday.
In Sol Plaatje municipality in Kimberley, municipal spokesperson Sello Matsie said streets were strewn with litter, and services such as meter reading and vehicle registration were disrupted.
Northern Cape Samwu provincial secretary Duma Lebakeng said after handing over a memorandum at the municipality, refuse was set alight. Police put the fire out.
Picketing and stayaways were also reported in Barkly West and Warrenton.
In Johannesburg, commuters who used council buses had to make alternative arrangements.
The strike was a bid by Samwu to resolve seven years of negotiations to make middle- and lower-income municipal workers’ salaries market related.
The union said this would reduce the salaries of higher-ranking council employees who were overpaid, and would address corruption, which had been given as a reason for service delivery protests.
The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry was unhappy that a mass strike was called as the economy was picking itself up after a bruising recession, and ahead of the Soccer World Cup. — Sapa