Pikitup has urged residents not to hand out gifts to rubbish collectors

RELATED LINKS: Pikitup ONGOING efforts by the City of Johannesburg's waste management company Pikitup to clean up the 1 625 square kilometres that make up Johannesburg have reaped positive results. Inner city areas that were once littered and untidy are now clean and neat. Read more It's official: the Christmas box is no more THE "Christmas box", where for the past 40 years refuse collectors have collected gifts or money from customers along their routes during the festive season, has been banned. Read more Clean and Green Campaign on track FOLLOW-UP inspections show that the Inner City Clean and Green Campaign is well on its way to making the area safe, clean and healthy for residents and business owners. Read more

No Christmas boxes for bin men Pikitup has asked residents not to give gifts of any form to Pikitup's waste collectors. It banned the traditional "Christmas box" practice in 2003. December 5, 2006 By Anish Abraham JOBURGERS have been asked not to give Christmas boxes or gifts of any sort to Pikitup rubbish collectors over the festive season. This is because of unsavoury experiences with the practice in the past, according to the City's waste management utility. Traditionally bin men would ask residents for gifts in the form of money or goods, better known as Christmas boxes. However, the practice was officially halted by Pikitup in 2002 as a result of problems associated with it. Since then the company has received numerous complaints from residents, claiming that imposters posing as company employees knock on their doors and demand money and gifts. Some of these refuse collectors have been accused of harassing residents who do not give them gifts. Management has instructed all staff members about its policy regarding festive season gifts from residents and personnel who do not abide by it will face disciplinary action. "We would like to emphasise that residents are under no obligation to give 'Christmas boxes' to our staff members and would appreciate their assistance in eliminating this practice completely," explained Marius de Villiers, the company's communications manager. He warned that while it was difficult to stamp out the practice, residents who still insisted on giving gifts to Pikitup's refuse collection staff would be doing so at their own risk. People with queries or complaints regarding Christmas boxes can contact Pikitup on 011 712 5200 or call the Joburg Connect call centre on 011 375 5555. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za