Pretoria – The City of Johannesburg has put measures in place to mitigate health risks associated with the rubbish that’s piling up on the streets.
Bags of refuse have been piling up around Johannesburg, following the strike by Pikitup workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
The workers, who have been on strikes for over four weeks, are demanding a monthly salary increase from R6 000 to R10 000 for lowest paid workers and the resignation of their managing director Amanda Nair.
The measures include mobilising communities to clean-up the metropolitan.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Parks Tau called on residents to utilise the Pikitup hotline 011 286 6009 to call for a pick-up truck or request clean-up tools and protective gear.
Mayor Tau also applauded those residents and businesses who have partnered with the City in a bid to clean-up the City.
He particularly welcomed and commended the private security sector's announcement of a commitment to avail additional resources to ensure the safety of deployed workers and service providers in the roll-out of contingency clean-up measures.
The mayor reiterated that the City is committed to addressing the issues of parity that will apply throughout the organization without compromising the financial structure of the City.
"We are also committed to investigating allegations against the Managing Director of Pikitup within the legal framework which prohibits us from starting an investigation of allegations with a suspension without any basis for that action," Mayor Tau said.
"It was wrong of labour to disrupt interviews as a way of dealing with management and then taking to the streets without following due processes in place for labour disputes.
“We cannot be placed in a situation where we have to consult labour when we must appoint an MD or a supervisor," Mayor Tau said.