Casual workers shut down Pikitup Randburg Depot over undelivered promised permanent posts
Pikitup casual workers promise to continue with the strike until the waste management company offers them appointment letters they promised years back.
Pikitup services have been disrupted in Randburg as casual workers demand permanent positions, which were promised by the waste management company.
Currently, casual workers are protesting and have shut down services. The gate is blocked with waste, and no trucks are allowed to go in or out of the company.
Read more: Illegally dumped debris removed from Elise Road
Lehlogonolo Mawela, who has been a casual for seven years at Pikitup, explained that the issue dates back three years, when the company issued 300 posts for permanent workers. He said that the casual workers were not absorbed in to the company at that time, with the company bringing in new people while they were already working.
“We went to complain to the mayor of Johannesburg, and after that, the company promised us that they would give out permanent posts for another 400 people. We applied and did medicals. That was two years back. They said that our things are in audit and in 2025, they promised to give us appointment letters by the end of November.”
At the end of November, the appointments were postponed to January 15 this year. “Now, they are saying month-end, that is why we decided to shut down the depot.”
The strike has been going on for more than five days, and Mawele said they will continue until they are given what they deserve. “We are now at the stage where we don’t really care what happens to us. We will shut things down until we are heard.”
Also read: Councillor Harman concerned about illegal dumping on Elise Road
As service is disrupted, residents are the ones left to suffer as waste is not collected in Randburg. Ward 98 councillor Hendrick Bodenstein said one of the things that makes this hurt so much is that they sat with, not the same situation, but the same outcome, for two weeks in December, and that was unbearable.
“I’ve started walking the streets of my ward. It smells, and it is horrific. No one is supposed to live like this, especially not people paying rates and taxes. In no modern society should this be allowed.”
Pikitup were sent questions regarding the issue, and their response will be published once made available.
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