There is a possibility of second strike by the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) if negotiations on wage disparities are not successful, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Thursday.
A two-week long strike by Pikitup refuse collectors in Johannesburg ended on Thursday after the City of Johannesburg acceded to all except their wage demands.
“We [workers] agreed though that this wasn’t our primary demand, so we are willing to schedule talks at a later stage and send workers back to work today [Thursday],” said Samwu spokesperson Tahir Sema
‘Solidarity action’
However, Cosatu later said that, if no agreement was reached on wages, Samwu would “invoke solidarity action of its entire membership in the region”.
It would also explore the possibility of a secondary strike by all Samwu members in Gauteng, Cosatu provincial secretary Dumisani Dakile said in a statement.
“We are hoping that the Johannesburg municipality will take this opportunity to reconsider its position and come to its senses and approach the negotiations with open arms and resolve the strike,” he said.
Dakile said that if there was no agreement, workers would strike again on April 28, with a secondary strike on April 29.
On Thursday, a number of Pikitup depots reported that workers were arriving for work.
Pikitup workers went on strike on April 7, after a go-slow, demanding, among other things, an internal investigation into allegations of corruption and irregular tenders.
During the strike, Pikitup managing director Zami Nkosi, Pikitup board chairperson Phumla Radebe and several other board members resigned. — Sapa