Metro employees down tools
Tshwane Metro Waste management employees cause major traffic congestion during the protest in the city centre on Thursday morning.
Traffic chaos erupted in the city centre on Thursday morning when Tshwane metro waste management employees downed tools and took to the streets demanding outstanding overtime payment. Approximately 600 employees protested over overtime payment dating back to the Good Friday’s long weekend in April.
They barricaded the city streets with trucks on the corner of Lilian Ngoyi and Mandiba streets causing traffic to come to a complete standstill. Metro police intervened and negotiated with employees to stop blocking the streets. The two parties agreed that the truck drivers should move their trucks and park them on only one lane along Lilian Ngoyi Street allowing traffic to flow on the other two lanes.
Metro police also assisted with directing traffic on Lilian Ngoyi Street to Madiba Street. The chaos stopped just before 11:00 after the metro and employees reached an agreement. Martin, an employee, said the metro agreed to pay them the outstanding payments.
“They said some employees will receive their money today and others will receive it on Monday,” Martin said.
He said they would continue to protests if their demands were not met.
