Garbage piles up as municipal strike continues
Stray dogs and the homeless wanderers have found much to do, scratching and clawing through the accumulated refuse.
Today marks the sixth day of the municipal workers’ strike in Newcastle.
Last week the streets of the CBD were subjected to an onslaught of fetid garbage, as workers emptied municipal skips, scattering their contents to the wind.
In quiet suburbs, black bags filled to the brim are still piled high, patiently waiting to be collected. Stray dogs and homeless wanderers have found much to do, scratching and clawing through the accumulated refuse.
Over the weekend, heaps of refuse appeared at Farmers Hall, the rubbish being dumped on the pavements and open fields next to the municipal waste transfer facility. Residents had no access to the facility, as workers had locked the gates and had not returned to work the following day.
After the fierce protests on Wednesday, the Newcastle Municipality issued a statement regarding the actions of the workers, condemning the “illegal actions taken by these employees” in the “strongest terms possible”.
Part of the statement read as follows:
‘We wish to state categorically and clearly that ill discipline will not be tolerated by the municipality. Legal action will be taken against all employees who do not abide by official municipal orders and we are now working closely with the SAPS and other stakeholders to monitor the situation, investigate the matter and take the necessary action as we deem fit.
We want to assure the community that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book. We will not allow lawlessness within the ranks of the municipality thus compromising delivery of services to our ratepayers.
Assurance is hereby given that everything has been put in place to ensure the non-disruption of services and the maintenance of law and order in our town.’
Click here to see last week’s Municipal strike story.
