Tebogo Monama

Tebogo Monama

Johannesburg City Council officials were yesterday frantically looking for Metro Police union officials who were locked in meetings the whole day.

Spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said: "We are trying to get hold of the union officials, but they are not available. We want to tell them that their members must come back to work.

"If they do not come back, we will have to consult our legal department to see what steps to take."

While city officials were struggling to get hold of them, the SA Municipal Workers Union officials were in a meeting with the ANC leadership at Luthuli House seeking a political solution to their indefinite strike.

ANC spokesman Nkenke Kekana said: "The ANC has no say on the municipality's employees. The matter is not about individuals, it is about an entire system. Our concern as the ruling party is to let service provision continue. We are trying to set up an enabling environment for negotiations to continue."

The city bowed to Samwu pressure and suspended two officials on Wednesday - deputy director Abel Nkosi and Roodepoort testing station manager Koti Essau.

Samwu is adamant its members will not go back to work until the city's chief of police, Chris Ngcobo, is suspended.

Samwu says if Ngcobo is not suspended the union will "continue with the strike which will be joined by other municipal workers".