Pretoria - The EFF will today embark on a march to put pressure on the City of Tshwane to reinstate municipal workers dismissed for participating in the unprotected strike over salary increments.
The City has dismissed more than 120 municipal workers since the strike began in July and has refused to reinstate any of them.
The march will coincide with an ordinary council sitting at Tshwane House. Marchers are expected to gather at Church Square in the morning before heading to Tshwane House where they would make their demands, which include the insourcing of security personnel.
The strike has severely affected service delivery with refuse not collected as scheduled and commuters left stranded after Tshwane Bus Services operations were suspended due to intimidation.
Earlier this month vehicles belonging to the municipality, including a bakkie, a water tanker and trucks were damaged in violent attacks in the Pretoria CBD.
Marchers will also express their dissatisfaction over the eviction of residents in ward 107 in Atteridgeville.
Last month, the EFF staged a protest in the council chambers where its councillors held up placards with messages in support of the workers’ strike and wage demands.
Their protest turned ugly when they hurled threats against councillors from the multiparty coalition block.
In an confrontation that erupted a DA councillor was manhandled and had his jacket and shirt stripped off.
Some ANC councillors also joined the fray by chanting songs in support of calls to reinstate workers.
Regional party leader Obakeng Ramabodu demanded that Tshwane municipal manager Johann Mettler should reverse the workers’ dismissals.
Brink previously said: “The City of Tshwane cannot pay contractors to fix leaks, restore electricity and repair sewer lines, and then pay the salaries of employees who sign in and then refuse to do these things. If we pay those salaries, we will be incurring fruitless and wasteful expenditure.”
Last month, Cosatu in Tshwane marched in solidarity with striking workers demanding wage increases of 3.5% and 5.4% in both the current and previous financial years.
Pretoria News