The City of Johannesburg’s refuse collection service appears to be up and running again, although some areas still await rubbish pick-ups.
This is after the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) and the City of Johannesburg (COJ) resolved a long-standing wage dispute earlier this week.
Municipal workers had been on strike, with services like water and electricity affected.
The lack of refuse collection led to unpleasant city landscapes and some people dumping rubbish where they could, posing health concerns.
It was on 3 November, on the eve of the Local Government Elections, that the SAMWU and the COJ signed an addendum to a so-called Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA) originally agreed to last year.
The wage agreement sought to address historical salary discrepancies.
Reacting to the agreement, SAMWU Regional Secretary Nthobani Nkosi said: “This really marks an historical day that, as of now on, we definitely know that this particular PFA is going to be a funded vehicle and that particular vehicle will make sure that employees of the city are remunerated properly and lastly, as employees of the city of Johannesburg, we remain committed into making sure that we keep our city clean, in making sure that we keep our city with flowing water, in making sure that the lights are on in the City of Johannesburg and we are committed to make that service delivery is pushed in all departments and all corners of the City of Johannesburg.”
However, in Orange Grove earlier today, the pick-up of legacy trash continued.
The impact on local businesses in the two weeks preceding the resumption of Pikitup services has been difficult, to say the least, with the foul stench still hanging in the air.
Former Ward 73 Councillor in the Orange Grove area, Eleanor Hugget, says the situation was unbearable and is not completely resolved as yet.
What’s interesting about the finalisation of the PFO is that in April of this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana warned against the City of Johannesburg’s commitment of R10.3 billion in salary increases over the next two years to address the municipal workers’ wage dispute, pointing to the city already being in financial distress.
He also said an unfunded wage increase would transgress the Municipal Finance and Management Act.
Meanwhile, the details of how the agreement and its revised terms would be funded remain sketchy.