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Waste collection services remain disrupted in parts of Johannesburg after protest action by casual workers affected operations at five of Pikitup’s 12 depots.
The workers are demanding permanent employment.
The Avalon depot remained the hardest hit after protesters blocked the entrance and prevented permanent employees from leaving to carry out refuse collection.
In an update issued on Thursday, Pikitup said the protest action was not affecting all of its facilities, with only five depots experiencing service delivery disruptions.
The entity said casual workers, supported by a group of Zandspruit residents, also blocked access to the Randburg depot earlier on Thursday, preventing permanent employees from leaving the site. However, the blockade has since been lifted and refuse collection services have resumed.
At the Marlboro depot, the blockade has also been removed, allowing employees to return to work. However, waste collection remains limited as casual workers have refused to resume their duties until their demands are addressed.
Pikitup said operations at the Waterval depot had returned to normal after the facility reopened, with both permanent employees and casual workers back at work, enabling refuse collection to continue.
Though there is no protest action at the Roodepoort depot, the entity said services remain constrained because of a shortage of compactor trucks. The shortage has slowed efforts to clear accumulated waste and restore normal collection schedules.
“Pikitup continues to engage with all relevant stakeholders to resolve the current impasse involving ad hoc service providers and casual workers while implementing operational measures to minimise service disruptions and progressively restore waste collection services in affected areas,” said Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe.
TimesLIVE
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