Municipal workers’ strike suspended

STRIKING municipal workers were given an ultimatum on Wednesday last week – return to work or face the consequences of your unprotected strike. In a memorandum to the workers, the Acting Municipal Manager, RS Mokoena, wrote that the Labour Court had on March 6 ordered that the strike was unprotected. and that the strikers were “interdicted, prohibited and restrained from interfering with and intimidating non-striking workers, management, suppliers and members of the public”. The strikers were advised that their strike was unlawful and constituted “serious misconduct which could lead to disciplinary action being instituted against you”. They were further advised that the principle of “no work no pay” would apply. The strikers were called upon to return to work on Thursday last week, failing which disciplinary action would be taken. The strikers are reported elsewhere to have given the municipality until the end of the month to respond to their demands, after which the situation would be re-examined. “There are some other avenues that we can employ to push the employer,” said a spokesperson.