Temporary Nelson Mandela Bay municipal workers on strike

A group of temporary municipal workers have blocked all entry into the Nelson Mandela Bay city treasury building, Mfanasekhaya Gqobose, demanding to be made permanent.

The group of 200 Assistance to the Poor plumbers and meter readers affiliated to the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (Demawusa) were not working on Tuesday.

About 50 of them barred the public from querying their bills at the treasury building.

Demawusa provincial coordinator Siphiwo Ndunyana said the workers were aggrieved because following a decision taken at the the December 4 council meeting, all temporary workers should have been insourced by the municipality and that had not happened.

"There's been no indication from the municipality when these workers will be insourced even though there's a standing council resolution.

"We've written numerous letters to the municipal manager asking why aren't these guys being absorbed into the municipality but there's been no response," Ndunyana said.

Ndunyana said the union, which was formed in 2015, was also battling to be recognised by the municipality, saying there was a recognition agreement submitted to former acting municipal manager Peter Neilson's office on March 1 which has not been responded to.