Waste collection matter delayed

The court application by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to enforce its agreement with refuse-collection workers was postponed yesterday. The impasse, over lunch and tea breaks, has resulted in a collection backlog. The workers and management of the metro signed an agreement on Wednesday which states that they have to work their full eight-hour shifts and any extra hours spent picking up rubbish bags would be considered over time. SA Municipal Workers Union regional secretary Mqondisi Nodongwe said the application had been postponed because the municipality’s attorneys were not prepared, while acting city boss Johann Mettler said the delay came as there were too many cases set for the Port Elizabeth Labour Court.