Union challenges Tshwane dismissals

Pretoria - Over 900 SA Municipal Workers Union members were fired following an illegal strike which left one person dead in Tshwane last week, a move which the union said on Monday it would fight in court.

The union's deputy chairperson Veli Kubheka said they received a letter of dismissal containing about 961 names from the City of Tshwane over the weekend.

“We are now working on challenging the dismissals and a court interdict (which prohibits workers embarking on a strike and intimidating workers or coming near the municipality's premises while on strike),” said Kubheka.

He said the strike was still suspended and that some workers were back at work on Monday.

Kubheka said the city was reluctant to meet with them.

“They said they'd rather do the talking through court…so that's what we'll do.”

Union members were protesting because of disciplinary action taken against their members in the city's troubled bus services.

They demanded the sacking of Tshwane Bus Services director Bernard Mojapelo, which the city claimed had already been done.

Kubheka said the situation was still tense, especially after the shooting of 43-year-old Petros Msiza in clashes between striking bus and refuse workers, police and metro police at the city's Church Street depot on Thursday last week.

The city confirmed Msiza was a municipal employee but could not provide details on how he died. Investigations are continuing.

There were no further clashes or violent incidents reported to police by Monday afternoon, but bus service disruptions were expected to continue due to the dismissal of a majority of drivers.