Kaunda pleads for patience as strike-hit eThekwini battles to restore services
eThekwini's leadership has appealed to
residents to be patient as it works to restore services in the strike-hit
city.
The municipality says workers and volunteers have started collecting refuse again.
Efforts are underway to restore water and electricity connections in areas worst affected by the almost three-week-long labour action.
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda told the media on Wednesday that they are in the process of finding a permanent solution to end the protracted illegal SAMWU strike.
Kaunda urged residents to refrain from protesting or blocking roads to demand a service return, as that is worsening the situation.
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"We want to appeal to community members to have patience as we have started to restore basic services in their respective areas. We fully understand their frustration for blockading roads because it poses another challenge to our already strained resources."
The mayor gave an update on the municipal workers' strike at the Durban City Hall.
The union this week issued a notice directing its members to return to work.
Kaunda said the majority of employees have begun trickling in and returned to duty on Wednesday.
However, he said 81 employees remain on a precautionary suspension for misconduct.
"One-thousand-eight-hundred-and-ninety-one employees have been given notices of misconduct and 88 employees have been dismissed for their participation in the unlawful industrial action, which started on the 27th of February."
He also condemned acts of criminality.
A woman, who was a supervisor at a Cemetery in UmlaziX passed away this weekend after being attacked by striking workers.
"We are aware of the shooting that took place in the electricity unit where our employees were shot at and we are happy to report they were injured by they are still surviving.
"We are also aware that the police are investigating two cases of attempted murder in this regard."
The city and the municipal workers union have agreed to continue negotiations during a 14-day workshop facilitated by the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance.
This is where the parties will resolve the key issues that the workers have raised.
