Striking municipal workers shut Tshwane down for second day over salary increases

30 July 2019 - 10:33
By Isaac Mahlangu
Hundreds of City of Tshwane municipal workers protest over salaries in the city centre. The workers are demanding 18% salary increase backdated to 2017.
Image: Veli Nhlapo Hundreds of City of Tshwane municipal workers protest over salaries in the city centre. The workers are demanding 18% salary increase backdated to 2017.

The Pretoria inner city has been brought to a standstill for a second day in a row as a wildcat municipal workers' strike continues.

Workers demanding an 18% salary increase have blockaded several intersections in the inner city with municipal buses and trucks.

This comes despite the City of Tshwane obtaining an 11th-hour court interdict against the strike which has seen dozens of businesses shutting their doors in the CBD and causing massive traffic gridlocks.

The labour court in Johannesburg ordered workers to return to their posts with immediate effect.

However, there was no sign of normality in the city on Tuesday morning with streets littered and most of the inner city not accessible.

Leading municipal union, the SA Municipal Workers' Union, was engaged in salary increase negotiations with the city.

Workers went on strike allegedly after it emerged that the city would pay its municipal manager, Moeketsi Mosola, a hefty R7.5m golden handshake.