The City of Tshwane sacked seven more employees on Tuesday, six of whom are believed to be ring-leaders of the illegal, unprotected strike. More than 100 city employees have been terminated since the strike began three weeks ago for participating in the illegal strike or intimidating their colleagues.
There are currently more intentions to dismiss employees being processed by the City.
Workers affiliated to South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) have been engaged in a series of protests since last month, demanding a 5.4% wage increase.
According to Selby Bokaba, City of Tshwane spokesperson, the six are shop stewards based at the city’s Middestad Building, situated in the CBD, while the seventh is based in Region 4 and was dismissed for intimidation.
After receiving notices that they would be dismissed, the shop stewards reportedly took action by littering the Middestad Building corridors.
Bokaba said: “The City has intensified the identification of the intimidators, who have now desperately resorted to wearing balaclavas, hats, caps, and shades to disguise their identity.”
On Tuesday, five employees from Region 6 drove in a convoy of five vehicles to the Waltloo Electricity Depot and intimidated workers. Four out of the five employees were identified and confirmed to be Samwu members.
In response to this growing issue of intimidation, the City has resolved to arrest intimidators and has encouraged employees who have been intimidated to consider laying criminal charges.
“Tshwane leadership has vowed to continue to clamp down on those that are hellbent on destabilising the institution,” said Bokaba.
A contempt application filed by the city in the Labour Court on Tuesday was dismissed on the grounds that the matter was not urgent, and not on the merits. However, the ruling does not affect the interim injunction granted on July 28.
“The interdict remains intact. The court declared the strike unlawful and unprotected and barred employees from intimidating their fellow colleagues and directed them to refrain from damaging the city’s property and any private or public property,” said Bokaba.
IOL