Durban waste and water strike is finally over, confirms premier

The strike by eThekwini water and sanitation municipal workers is over.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, city manager Zandile Gumede and KZN premier Willies Mchunu confirmed that the municipality had reached an agreement at the bargaining council with the employees.

Thousands of disgruntled workers embarked downed tools and took to the streets in Durban last Tuesday, causing chaos as streets were blockaded with refuse and sand in protest over the unfair promotion of more than 50 uMkhonto weSizwe military veterans working in the municipal department.

Waste removal and water services were disrupted and hundreds of households were affected.

Mchunu - who appointed an intervention team led by the MEC for human settlements and public works Ravi Pillay and Cogta MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube - said the team briefed him that a cordial settlement had been reached between all the parties and that all operations that had ground to a halt, including water services, would return to normal with immediate effect.

"We have commitment that the strike is now over. We welcome the breakthrough and commitment to ensure the resumption of all operations. This gives us some comfort that the people of eThekwini will now continue with their lives and exercise their fundamental right to vote with less worry about service interruptions,” said Mchunu. 

“We know that the protest action has inflicted a lot of pain on many ordinary citizens in eThekwini and for this as government we profusely apologise. There is no doubt that the past weeks have been difficult for all the parties, but we welcome the progress made - especially in the area of the restoration of all services to the community.”

Gumede said in a statement that she welcomed the breakthrough at the bargaining council between the two unions, the Independent Municipal Workers and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) and South African Muncipal Workers' Union (Samwu).

“I extend my sincere apologies to residents, business and visitors in the city. I am confident that the solution will avoid a similar challenge arising in future. I am committed to monitoring the progress and addressing the backlog issues,” said Gumede.

"On Tuesday evening, Samwu and Imatu reached an agreement which will see municipal workers going back to work. This will assist the city in dealing with service delivery and debris of the #DurbanFloods that has killed and displaced many families."

The city tweeted it was "committed to improve conditions of employees in lower levels especially those in Grade3/4."

On Tuesday, Samwu provincial secretary Jaycwe Ncanana told TimesLIVE that an agreement was imminent.