Labour

SAMWU to go on strike if City of Tshwane fails to heed OHS demands

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has not ruled out the possibility of a strike should demands not be met by the employer.

On Monday, 30 April 2018, municipal workers in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, handed over a memorandum of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) demands to the office of the Mayor of City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Solly Msimanga. They are demanding among other things better safety equipment for waste pickers.

Speaking to Political Analysis South Africa on Wednesday, 2 May 2018 SAMWU Regional Secretary, Mpho Tladinyane said workers are working under difficult conditions. He added that the union would look into the possibility of withdrawing its labour should the city not heed its demands

“Workers are working in unbearable conditions. You have to provide them with gloves. You have to provide them with masks. In this instance, the city has not provided these things so workers are expected to pick litter using their own hands,” he said.

“Once we have a response from the city what we’ll do is that we’ll then convene a meeting with the workers and then workers will give us a mandate on what is that is exactly supposed to happen,” he added.

Tladinyane said that workers have been engaging in talks with the city to air their concerns but that nothing has come from the engagement.

SAMWU will have a meeting with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality on Thursday, 3 May 2018 to chart a way forward. Tladinyane said although the union cannot pre-empt the outcomes of the meeting workers remain hopeful that the city will address the issues that they’ve raised.