Today's Labour News

BL Premium reports that the City of Tshwane on Thursday axed an additional 55 employees, bringing the total number of workers fired over an illegal wage strike to 93.

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said in a statement that “more dismissal letters are in the process of being issued to the striking employees”. The metro fired 38 employees on Monday last week, saying the unlawful and illegal strike had affected service restoration turnaround times. The strike began with a march by SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members on 26 July to Tshwane House, demanding that the metro implement a 5.4% pay increase reached in the SA Local Government Bargaining Council in 2021. But, the metro has repeatedly claimed that because it did not have the necessary funds, it would apply to be exempted from implementing the wage deal. Bokaba indicated further: “The strike action has now entered the third week, despite the labour court having granted the city an interim interdict against the strike and declaring it to be unlawful and unprotected on July 28. The court interdict has directed the striking employees to stop intimidating their co-workers and not to damage the city’s property and any public or private property. The city has now identified the individuals behind the strike and is finalising its court application, which is likely to be filed tomorrow [Friday].” On Thursday, the metro opened an arson case against striking employees who had damaged waste bins and set them alight at the Waste Management Depot in Centurion.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
• Lees ook, Tshwane stuur nóg 55 afdankingsbriewe uit, by Maroela Media

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page