- The City of Johannesburg has deployed a series of heavy vehicles to begin servicing areas impacted by strike action undertaken by temporary Pikitup employees.
- Strikers are demanding permanent employment from the city.
- Pikitup has deployed 13 bobcats, 12 TLBs, eight mechanical sweepers and 101 compactors to begin addressing the leftover waste.
Various parts of Johannesburg have seen their waste management services disrupted due to a strike of workers at the city’s waste utility Pikitup. Since it began last week, parts of Norwood, Marlboro, Waterval, Selby, Randburg, Midrand, and Diepsloot have seen waste processes impacted.
On Wednesday, the City of Johannesburg announced that it would be deploying additional resources to help address the lack of waste services these areas have been receiving due to the strike action, that the City says is unwarranted.
“The unrest stems from the expiration of contracts for casual workers at Pikitup, who are demanding permanent employment,” the City explains.
Last year, Pikitup advertised 300 temporary positions for workers and appointed an external recruiter to manage the process. It claims that organised labour was kept informed throughout the process but now, as the temporary contracts come to an end and new workers are brought in, protest action has been sparked.
“The protests have escalated, with some workers resorting to destructive actions such as burning tires outside depots, severely disrupting waste collection services,” the City adds.
“Pikitup Management is actively engaging with the protesting workers to find a resolution and ensure the safety of all employees. Enhanced security measures have been implemented to enable staff to continue their duties, and a comprehensive recovery plan has been developed to address the waste collection backlog.”
To mitigate the impact of the strike, the City of Johannesburg has deployed the following resources:
- Inner City: 21 Compactors for Selby, 12 Tipper Trucks, 3 Bob Cats, 3 Mechanical Sweepers, 2 TLBs and intensified cleaning campaigns,
- Marlboro: 16 Compactors, 8 Tipper Trucks, 2 Bob cats, 1 Mechanical sweeper and 2 TLBs,
- Randburg: 16 Compactors, 8 Tipper Trucks, 2 Bob cats, 1 Mechanical sweeper and 2 TLBs,
- Midrand: 16 Compactors, 8 Tipper Trucks, 2 Bob cats, 1 Mechanical sweeper and 2 TLBs,
- Norwood: 16 Compactors, 8 Tipper Trucks, 2 Bob cats, 1 Mechanical sweeper and 2 TLBs,
- Roodepoort: 16 Compactors, 8 Tipper Trucks, 2 Bob cats, 1 Mechanical sweeper and 2 TLBs,
- Overall: 101 Compactors, 52 Tipper Trucks, 13 Bob cats, 8 Mechanical sweeper and 12 TLBs.
“We are aware of the allegations surrounding the recruitment process at Pikitup. I have directed an investigation to uncover the truth. If wrongdoing is found, action will be taken against all implicated officials,” said City Manager Floyd Brink.
The investigation into the hiring process is being conducted by an independent investigator, Brink claims, and should be concluded in the coming weeks.
