‘Metro is ignoring us,’ says union

Metro waste management workers are unhappy that the municipality still has not responded to their memo of concerns about so-called “labour brokering” (the outsourcing of casual labour).

“It has been almost three months,” said SA Civic Servants Union (Sacsu) president Peter Serobe.

“And [Tshwane Mayor Stevens] Mokgalapa has not even bothered to respond to us, let alone provide any form of receipt.”

Serobe was referring to several letters the union has addressed to the metro as well as a memorandum of demands delivered to Tshwane House during a protest march on 23 July.

“To our surprise, we haven’t heard anything from anyone within the municipality,” he said.

Serobe said this betrayed a “very arrogant” attitude by the Tshwane leadership.

The union represents waste management workers in all seven regions of Tshwane.

Serobe said that the workers employed by labour brokers for more than four to eight years were performing a very essential task for the municipality and that they demanded a change in their sector.

Mayor Mokgalapa was not available to accept the memorandum delivered during the march to Tshwane House, led by Sacsu leadership.

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Instead, the memo was accepted on his behalf by housing MMC Sello Maimane.

In the memo, the metro was given 14 days to respond to the union’s demands and grievances.

“We are here to tell the mayor that we are disappointed in him and the municipality,” said Serobe at the time.

“Our people are still being exploited – even after 25 years of democracy.”

“Labour brokering is a crime because workers are not getting the same benefits permanent full-time employees are getting.”

He said they demanded to be permanently employed and be given medical aid and a housing allowance as well as other benefits full-time employees were entitled to.

Mayoral spokesperson Omogolo Taunyane said the metro was attending to the memorandum of demands.

“We have the memorandum and are currently studying it.”

She said the union representatives would receive a response in due course.

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