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Pikitup plans to discipline striking staff

Relations between the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and Pikitup Waste Management have deteriorated further with the latter instituting a disciplinary process against union members who embarked on a chaotic illegal strike this week.

Pikitup's Jackey Mashapu said it had served 54 Samwu shop stewards with letters informing them of the intention to institute disciplinary procedures against them for their role in the strike which started on Monday.

"They have to motivate why they should not be disciplined," Mashapu said, adding that the same process would later be applied to general members.

The deadline was the end of business yesterday.

The Johannesburg city council's waste collection entity made the announcement as Samwu members vowed not to return to work until its managing director, Amanda Nair, is fired or resigned.

Mashapu said that refraining from work by workers was a violation of a court order issued by the labour court in Johannesburg interdicting them from strike action on Tuesday.

Samwu has dared the employer to meet them on an equal footing, describing the distribution of the letters as intimidation.

Samwu's deputy regional general secretary Paul Tlhabang said: "What they are doing is targeting Samwu leaders. We will deal with it. It's no big deal. All that should happen is that Amanda must go."

The union has also accused Nair of racism and nepotism, saying she has removed black African people from influential positions and replaced them with Indians.

They also accuse her of enforcing salary disparities in which they allege that workers at Pikitup, who are at the same level with their colleagues in other entities, were paid far less. Mashapu challenged Samwu to bring evidence of their allegations to the company.

"I hear all those allegations via the media," he said.

In another round of confrontations yesterday, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and police had to close the Nelson Mandela bridge as Samwu members marched to Pikitup offices in Braamfontein. Workers were turned back and Samwu accused police of firing at them with rubber bullets unprovoked.

The strike has also left a stink in the city centre and surrounding areas as uncollected garbage piled up. Ramaya Maholwana, who works at a clothing shop in Lillian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street), said strikers have made it difficult for them to work as they left rubbish on the pavement, blocking access to shops.

xabav@sowetan..co.za