South Africa: Rubbish Piles Up in Kwamushu As Waste Workers Dispute Salary Cuts

By Tsoanelo Sefoloko

Workers salaries have more than halved this year

Rubbish is piling up in the streets of KwaMushu township in Durban as waste workers downed tools this week over cuts to their salaries.

The workers are employed by several companies subcontracted by the eThekwini Municipality. The previous contract, which ran until March, allowed for workers to earn about R8,400 a month. But under a new contract, they only earn about R4,000.

The municipality says the pay rates are in line with the Bargaining Council for Contract Cleaning Services Industry. But the workers want to be paid according to the local government bargaining council instead.

Dozens of workers from Mayville, Chesterville and Lamont townships picketed outside the City Hall on Tuesday and stayed at home on Wednesday. This follows a smaller picket outside the solid waste depot in KwaMashu last week.

Leaders for the workers had a meeting with the mayor's special advisor inside the City Hall on Wednesday. Despite the meeting taking almost three hours, no agreement was reached.

"The leadership from the city were trying to persuade us into agreeing to the salary of R4,000. The city leadership didn't agree to our demand. For now, we really don't know what the next step would be," said Nosipho Memela, one of the workers' leaders.

EThekwini municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilane said the workers are not employed by the municipality but by subcontractors.

Sisilane did not respond to questions on why the budget for salaries was reduced under the new contracts, despite the scope of work not having changed.

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