MUNICIPAL officials in Joburg left their offices yesterday to clean up the mess striking Pikitup workers had made in Braamfontein!
They worked hard to clean the streets, which were strewn with rubbish and stank but as soon as they left, the protesters returned to overturn all the rubbish bins. Within minutes, the streets of Braamfontein were filthy again.
The cops, who were monitoring the area, had to use water cannons to disperse the protesters. They fired rubber bullets at the strikers, who threw rocks back. A police chopper could also be seen hovering in the sky.
Earlier, Mayor Parks Tau, council officials and board members of waste management company Pikitup got their hands dirty with brooms, spades and rakes. Tau said they were trying to get things back to normal.
“The people went out to trash the streets and we are very worried about this. We are saying let’s deal with this issue,” he said.
He said they would keep cleaning up the streets if workers kept messing them up.
“We have to continuously clean up but at the same time we are trying to find ways to solve the problem and manage the situation,” said Tau.
He said his message to the workers was that they had a right to engage in a protected protest but they should have done it the right way.
“It’s important that people follow due process when they want to raise their issues. You can’t win a situation where the employer is sitting without any formal demands,” he said.
Pikitup employees downed their tools last Friday, demanding pay rises and better working conditions. They vowed to continue causing chaos until their grievances were heard.
