GroundUp reports that rubbish is piling up in the streets of KwaMashu township in Durban as waste workers downed tools this week over cuts to their salaries. The workers are employed by several companies subcontracted by the eThekwini Municipality.
The previous contract, which ran until March, provided for workers to earn about R8,400 a month, but under a new contract they only earn about R4,000. According to the municipality, the pay rates are in line with those of the Bargaining Council for Contract Cleaning Services Industry. But the workers want to be paid according to the local government bargaining council’s rates instead. Dozens of workers from Mayville, Chesterville and Lamont townships picketed outside the City Hall on Tuesday and stayed at home on Wednesday. This followed a smaller picket outside the solid waste depot in KwaMashu last week.
Worker representatives held a meeting with the mayor’s special advisor inside the City Hall on Wednesday, but no agreement was reached. eThekwini municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilane pointed out that the workers were not employed by the municipality but by subcontractors. Sisilane did not respond to questions on why the budget for salaries was reduced under the new contracts, despite the scope of work not having changed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tsoanelo Sefoloko at GroundUp
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page