Pretoria - The City of Tshwane has dismissed seven more employees, six of whom considered to be the “ringleaders” behind the chaotic unlawful and unprotected strike.
The six are shop stewards based at the city’s Middestad Building in the CBD, while the seventh is based in Region 4 and was dismissed for intimidation.
The shop stewards, after receiving letters of intention for their dismissal, embarked on a push-back by trashing the corridors of the Middestad Building with litter.
A total of 100 employees have been dismissed since the beginning of the strike action three weeks ago for either participating in the unlawful strike or for intimidating their colleagues.
More letters of intention to dismiss are being processed. The city has intensified the identification of intimidators, who have desperately resorted to wearing balaclavas, hats, caps and shades to conceal their identities.
Yesterday, five employees based in Region 6, travelling in a convoy of five vehicles, drove to the Waltloo Electricity Depot and intimidated workers on duty. Four of the five employees were successfully identified and confirmed to be members of the SA Municipal Workers Union.
The city has resolved to arrest the intimidators and has urged employees who have been intimidated to consider laying criminal charges.
Tshwane leadership has vowed to continue clamping down on those hell-bent on destabilising the city.
Meanwhile, the city’s urgent application to the Labour Court for contempt was dismissed yesterday on the grounds that the matter was not urgent, and not on the merits.
Yesterday’s ruling has no bearing on the interim interdict granted to the city on July 28, which declared the strike unlawful and unprotected and barred employees from intimidating their colleagues and directed them to refrain from damaging any property.
Pretoria News