Municipal workers to strike

By Rhodé Marshall
28 January 2008

The City of Cape Town says that they are making plans to ensure that disruptions are to a minimum as the municipal strike is to commence as of this week.

“The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has informed the city that it will start its strike action this week, we are not quite sure what it entails but they have applied for a march on Thursday and we are also expecting picketing,” says City of Cape Town spokesperson Charles Cooper.

Cooper says that the City respects the workers right to strike but that they will ensure that essential services are not interrupted. The strike is because the workers are not happy with the City’s organisational realignment of their staff.

“All staff who are classed as essential workers are not allowed to go out on strike, like the Metro Police, law enforcement, health services, electricity and water and sanitation.

Residents must place their wheelie bins on the pavement on collection day. If the bin is not collected by the normal time do not take it back onto your property – leave it until 19:00,” says Cooper.

The City says if the bins are not collected by the above mentioned time, residents should report it in the morning to the City’s Call Centre on 0860 103 089.