July 26, 2005
By Mamello Makgana and Anish Abraham
JOHANNESBURG has promised its residents it will try to ensure basic services will continue during a strike by its workers, planned from 27 July to 29 July.
However, the City acknowledges that there might be disruptions to certain services.
The strike will be the second by municipal workers this month, following failed wage negotiations.
In Johannesburg, municipal employees are expected to gather in Beyers Naude Square, in the CBD. They will hand over a memorandum to Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo.
Negotiations between the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) and the South African Local Government Association (Salga) stalled following a strike earlier this month.
The unions want a 9 percent wage increase. Salga, however, has implemented a wage increase of 6 percent.
Pikitup, the City's waste management agency, says it does not expect its areas and depots to be affected. Residents are, however, advised that should there be any disruption, waste should be kept at their premises until the next scheduled collection.
Pikitup's garden sites will be open, but only for garden waste and not for general domestic refuse, according to a City press release. The five landfill sites will operate with skeleton staff.
These are:
- GoudKoppies on Houthammer Road, Devland
- Linbro Park on Marlboro Drive, Sandton
- Marie Louise on Dobsonville Road, Roodepoort
- Robinson Deep on Turffontein Road, Turffontein
- Ennerdale on Old Lawley Road, Lawley
Joburg Water, the City's water utility, will not be affected because it is an essential service.
Most of the major paypoints will be open for business. Residents can also use alternative outlets, including banks, supermarkets and ATMs to pay their municipal services accounts. Pre-paid customers are advised to put extra money into their accounts as a precautionary measure.
The City is taking a "No work, no pay" stance to the strike.
Johannesburg is just one of the cities around the country that is expected to be affected. Masondo, who is also the Salga chairman, said the association's offer was the only viable option, considering the poor financial state of most municipalities.
Smaller municipalities are struggling to deliver services because of inadequate resources, according to Salga. Some have budgeted for salary increases of up to 5 percent, while the association has been able to negotiate a 6 percent rise.
It says the unions have rejected arbitration as an alternative route to solving the salary dispute.
According to Roger Ronnie, the general secretary of Samwu, marches will take place in all major centres across the country.
"There is no possibility of taking the dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration," said Ronnie. "The parties involved will have to resolve this on their own."
Municipalities have put in place plans to ensure service delivery is not disrupted during the strike.
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