Pikitup employees affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers' Union embarked on an unprotected strike and trashed the streets, thought Johannesburg CBD. Picture: THE TIMES/MOELETSI MABE
Pikitup employees affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers' Union embarked on an unprotected strike and trashed the streets, thought Johannesburg CBD. Picture: THE TIMES/MOELETSI MABE

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REFUSE-removal company Pikitup is urging Johannesburg residents to drop off their rubbish at its landfill and collection sites within the city, as it continues to face off with its employees in an unprotected strike.

Pikitup spokesman Jacky Mashapu said on Wednesday the majority of the company’s 5,200-strong workforce has joined the strike.

Pikitup, which is wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg, published a list of drop-off points on its website on Wednesday.

In a waste-removal plan implemented since Monday, residents were urged to take their rubbish to collection facilities near their homes or work.

The strike by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) is in its second week.

The union is demanding an increase in salary from R6,000 to R10,000. It wants Pikitup to look into alleged salary disparities and end the use of casual labour. They are also demanding the removal of some managers including MD Amanda Nair.

Pikitup and the city maintain that given that the stoppage is unprotected, and that a court interdict was being ignored, it would set a wrong precedent to negotiate.

The company obtained a court interdict against the Samwu members last Wednesday, barring them from picketing and continuing with the strike.

Employees of the Red Ants, a company contracted to ease the effect of the industrial action, were shot and wounded on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a strike by Samwu in the Eastern Cape over salary disparities at Amatola Water ended on Wednesday, with the company agreeing to a one-off payment of R10,500 for its 300 employees.

Amatola Water supplies bulk water to the province’s major towns and metros, including Port Elizabeth and East London.

Amatola Water CEO Lefadi Makibinyane said on Wednesday the decision had been made in the interest of labour stability.