The City of Tshwane has dismissed 55 more staffers in its crackdown against workers partaking in pay protests that have lasted nearly three weeks.
The latest dismissal brings the total to 93, the City of Tshwane said on Thursday.
Members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) have been on strike since July, demanding salary increases.
In an earlier order, the SA Local Government Bargaining Council instructed the City to raise workers’ salaries by 5.4% for the 2023/2024 financial year as per a salary and wage collective agreement dated 15 September 2021.
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But the City of Tshwane obtained an interim labour court interdict which declared the strike action unlawful and unprotected. It subsequently ordered employees to refrain from participating in the protests. The order also cautioned against damage to property and the intimidation of coworkers.
The city approached the labour court again last Friday (4 August) on an urgent basis to enforce the interim interdict.
However, on Monday, the court refused to grant the city the contempt order, asking it to identify the striking employees and union leaders instead.
“The city has now identified the individuals behind the strike and is finalising its court application,” it said.
It plans to file the application on Friday (11 August).
“The striking employees, who are affiliated to labour trade union Samwa, were given three ultimatums by the city manager to return to work, but they disregarded his directives,” Tshwane said.
The affected workers hail from various departments, including the finance, energy and electricity units.
The city also opened a case docket of arson against striking workers who damaged and set waste bins alight at the Centurion Waste Management Depot.
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