Cosatu vows to continue mobilising until City of Tshwane gives in to workers’ demands

 

Labour federation, Cosatu, says mobilisation efforts to force the City of Tshwane to reinstate the more than 120 municipal workers who were fired for taking part in a protracted illegal wage strike.

COSATU Regional Chairperson, Amos Monyela, says the municipality should respect collective bargaining and implement municipal workers demands for a 5.4% wage hike.

The federation also wants government to urgently address the high cost of living.

The workers took to the streets of the nation’s capital on Friday to vent their frustrations and make their demands known.

 

Tensions later flared outside Tshwane House after Mayor Cilliers Brink failed to meet with the striking Cosatu workers.

Tshwane Mayor Cillers Brink was expected to receive workers memorandum of demands.

However, City Manager Johann Mettler arrived accompanied by a heavy police escort, apparently ready to address the demonstrators.

 

He fled the scene shortly after as workers hurled insults and intimidating remarks just as he was about to disembark from a police nyala.

Tshwane Spokesperson, Sipho Stuurman, has issued an apology on the mayor’s behalf, saying Brink could no longer make it as the memorandum was meant to be received at 12.

Meanwhile, the labour federation has dispelled accusations that there were threats made to city officials lives in the City of Tshwane. Article by Naomi Kobbie

Protest in pictures: