Striking municipal workers torched dustbins, littered streets in the city centre with rubbish and barred those who were at work from leaving the municipal buildings in Port Elizabeth yesterday as the protest entered its sixth day.
Union leaders stepped in as some workers stuffed papers under a vehicle belonging to the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and tried to set it alight.
A worker then decided to deflate the wheels of the vehicle instead.
The police had their hands full trying to prevent any further destruction to property, but the frustration of the workers was palpable.
Shops in the city closed as the workers walked from the Lillian Diedericks Building to City Hall.
Street vendors quickly packed their produce away as the passing workers helped themselves to the fruit.
Non-striking workers’ vehicles were stoned and a Herald reporter was robbed of her cellphone.
Police spokeswoman Priscilla Naidu said public order police and Humewood police had been sent there only to monitor the situation.
No arrests had been made.
Members of Samwu and Imatu are striking over backpay for long-service bonuses, demanding that 2,689 municipal workers each be paid a R30,000 settlement.The demand stems from money owed to them after the former Uitenhage, Despatch and Port Elizabeth municipalities merged to form Nelson Mandela Bay in 2000.
In Samwu’s list of grievances to management, the workers allege that staff in the infrastructure and engineering department are sidelined on training.
It also complained that the municipality was wasting taxpayers’ money on highly paid legal practitioners when it had its own legal department.
Leaders of both unions say they have not been involved in any talks with the municipality ’s political and administrative bosses since the strike star ted.
They plan to protest outside the council chambers today because the council is set to meet from 1pm.
The leaders say they hope the council will decide to give workers what they want and ultimately put an end to the strike.
The workers demand that their grievances be placed at the top of the agenda.Addressing the striking workers, Samwu regional chairwoman Nomvula Hadi said its members would continue with the strike until the municipality responded positively to its demands.
“What we were lobbying for is that our matter be part of the agenda and that it becomes top of the agenda,” she said.
“Immediately after our meeting with the ANC chief whip, they agreed that it must be added to the agenda.”
Hadi urged the workers to conduct their strike in a peaceful manner and to allow councillors to enter the chamber.
“In all that we do, we will picket and allow the councillors to [go] inside so they can help us. We have agreed [with the ANC chief whip] that council must tell [city manager Johann] Mettler to leave the council meeting to speak to striking unions and resolve the matter,” she said.
Both the ANC and EFF have come out in support of the striking workers. Services have been in disarray since the strike started on Thursday.
Refuse has not been collected in all areas around the Bay while customer care centres have been closed.
The traffic and licensing centres in Korsten and Uitenhage are also not operational.
Early yesterday, the workers started picketing at their designated picket area in front of the Lillian Diedericks Building in Govan Mbeki Avenue and then made their way to City Hall, leaving a trail of burning rubbish bins and rubble behind them.Two IPTS bus stops were also unhinged and thrown into the road.
Imatu and Samwu distanced themselves from the destruction and violent incidents.
Meanwhile, the municipality urged residents to keep their refuse bags inside their yards or to drop them off at the various drop-off centres or landfill sites.
The Mfanasekhaya Gqoboshe Customer Care Centre (former Eric Tindale Building), Uitenhage, Walmer, Despatch and KwaNobuhle customer care centres are still closed.
Municipal spokesman Kupido Baron said: “Our customer care centres that are operational are Korsten, Cleary Park, KwaMagxaki, Motherwell Thusong Centre and the New Brighton Customer Care Centre.
“Even though these centres are open, we caution residents to use their own discretion when approaching them as our Joint Operations Centre received reports of intimidation at some of our municipal buildings,” Baron said.
Residents whose electricity meters have been blocked can contact the budget and treasury customer care centre department on (041) 506-5555.