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Durban taps dry as water‚ sanitation workers vow to extend strike

Sanitation workers in Durban have threatened to extend their strike
Sanitation workers in Durban have threatened to extend their strike
Image: 123RF/Andriy Popov

Workers gathered at the Springfield depot on Monday morning to meet managers over their grievances.

Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union vice-chairperson Queen Mbatha said that workers were confident that the city managers would show up during the course of the day.

Mbatha refused to comment on allegations that striking workers had sabotaged the water supply to several areas in and around Durban or that services could be affected on election day‚ May 8.

"I can't comment on that but I can say that workers are not going out to fix faults so there will be areas without water‚" she said.

In a statement a week ago‚ city manager Sipho Nzuza said the workers were demanding to be elevated to the same grade 10 salary level they claimed the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association members were receiving.

According to the workers‚ the MK veterans‚ who were employed by the city in 2016‚ were upgraded from grade 4.

Nzuza said: "The city is of the view that all human resource processes were followed to the letter. There are internal HR processes that our employees know need to be followed in the event they feel there is a need to be re-graded."

The municipality didn't respond to queries. Meanwhile‚ several suburbs have gone without water for almost a week.

Democratic Alliance executive committee member Heinz de Boer said it was "an absolute disaster".

"We have had several areas that have been deliberately sabotaged. We have had subtle instances of sabotage where repairs were done a few days ago and the workers just didn’t bother to turn the valves back on."

"There has been intimidation in the Pinetown and Kloof areas and we now have people sitting without water for at least six to seven days."

De Boer said if the city management did not resolve the issue‚ there was a possibility that there would be no water or electricity on election day.

It is believed that electricity department workers were threatening to join the strike.

"I don’t understand why we are not using our police force and‚ if need be‚ why are we not using the military to safeguard public infrastructure?

"It's absurd that people can go around and simply turn off a vital resource like water. I would almost say it's treason. We need a whole lot more action. I don’t think the strike is going to be resolved any time soon and‚ in the interim‚ emergency services must do their job‚" De Boer said.



Source: TMG Digital.

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