No more messing about

THE continuing strike by rubbish collectors in Johannesburg, which, mercifully, is expected to end soon, has left the city and surrounding areas a stinking mess.

On Friday, the talks aimed at getting workers back on the job hit another deadlock.

The 4 000 Pikitup workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union are demanding huge wage increases that, if met, will have most workers earning between R6 000 to R10 000 a month.

The demand, which mayor Parks Tau says is unaffordable and would put a strain on his budget, is complicated by a further demand that Pikitup boss Amanda Nair resign.

With the strike in its second month, residents have had to pay extra to have their rubbish collected.

Those close to the negotiations say that any solution arrived at will have to go deeper and address the real causes that led to workers going on strike.

Remember, this is the fourth strike since November last year.

Workers say they are being undermined and treated as uneducated garbage collectors. They say they, too, need to make a living and their salaries are the lowest among the City of Johannesburg’s entities.

It is, however, important for workers to ensure that measures are put in place to deal with absenteeism and dereliction of duty by those charged with keeping our environment clean.

While the city has acknowledged the wage gap, managers continue to look for quick solutions that will dissipate in a few months.

Let’s find a solution that goes beyond the litter we see in our streets.