The embattled Buffalo City Metro hopped from one crisis to another yesterday as hundreds of its employees downed tools and took to the streets in protest over back payment and promotions.
The strike caught the city management by surprise as there is currently no dispute declared between workers affiliated to the South Africa Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and BCM.
Striking Samwu workers are demanding that:
lAll workers be promoted two levels in relation to the municipality assuming Metro status in 2011;
lAll workers be back-paid their salaries of two levels up from May 2011; and
lThe municipality stop outsourcing services from private engineering and electricity companies that it has contracted.
The metro is still reeling from a water crisis that saw hundreds of thousands of residents go without water for two days after problems at the Umzonyana treatment works.
In a statement the metro said the strike had crippled services in the Munifin building, Old Mutual building, human resources department, the Civic Centre in King William’s Town and Mdantsane Rent Offices.
Commuters faced traffic jams in the East London CBD yesterday as traffic came to a standstill when workers blockaded Oxford Street.
They stoned the municipal finance department building, dumped garbage and set tyres ablaze on the streets.
While traffic authorities redirected traffic to other streets, members of the East London public order police kept a close watch on proceedings.
Workers said they would not stop striking until all their demands were met. Speaking on behalf of striking workers Samwu campaigns convener Zola Capucapu said: “We started engaging the employer on January 6.
“We continued with our engagement until February 24 when we held a march that led us to giving the mayor a memorandum.
“Then the employer said they would get back to us after 14 days and respond.”
Capucapu said Samwu, as part of the Local Labour Forum (LLF) within the metro, had agreed with BCM that a task team comprising Samwu members, Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) members and BCM management be established to look at the demands in the memorandum.
“The task team did not meet as agreed because management was not playing ball.
“We took the news back to our members and they decided that we should strike,” Capucapu said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
New crisis for BCM as workers ‘suddenly’ take to the streets
The strike caught the city management by surprise as there is currently no dispute declared between workers affiliated to the South Africa Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and BCM.
Striking Samwu workers are demanding that:
lAll workers be promoted two levels in relation to the municipality assuming Metro status in 2011;
lAll workers be back-paid their salaries of two levels up from May 2011; and
lThe municipality stop outsourcing services from private engineering and electricity companies that it has contracted.
The metro is still reeling from a water crisis that saw hundreds of thousands of residents go without water for two days after problems at the Umzonyana treatment works.
In a statement the metro said the strike had crippled services in the Munifin building, Old Mutual building, human resources department, the Civic Centre in King William’s Town and Mdantsane Rent Offices.
Commuters faced traffic jams in the East London CBD yesterday as traffic came to a standstill when workers blockaded Oxford Street.
They stoned the municipal finance department building, dumped garbage and set tyres ablaze on the streets.
While traffic authorities redirected traffic to other streets, members of the East London public order police kept a close watch on proceedings.
Workers said they would not stop striking until all their demands were met. Speaking on behalf of striking workers Samwu campaigns convener Zola Capucapu said: “We started engaging the employer on January 6.
“We continued with our engagement until February 24 when we held a march that led us to giving the mayor a memorandum.
“Then the employer said they would get back to us after 14 days and respond.”
Capucapu said Samwu, as part of the Local Labour Forum (LLF) within the metro, had agreed with BCM that a task team comprising Samwu members, Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) members and BCM management be established to look at the demands in the memorandum.
“The task team did not meet as agreed because management was not playing ball.
“We took the news back to our members and they decided that we should strike,” Capucapu said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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