SAMWU must pay for damage during unprotected strike

AfriForum welcomes the decision of Cilliers Brink, mayor of the Tshwane Metro, to file a civil claim against the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) due to damages suffered as a result of the prolonged unprotected wage strike.

According to Sampie Steinberg, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Greater Pretoria North, AfriForum will support the civil application and will also settle the account that they incurred to help communities.

AfriForum said in a letter to the mayor that there is a strong legal basis and that strict action must be taken against SAMWU. These types of unprotected strikes are likely to happen again or even spread to other municipalities.

“There are processes that can be followed to stop these illegal activities and bring the culprits to book. It is a light in the tunnel for AfriForum that the Tshwane Metro is finally starting to investigate these processes,” says Dewet Ungerer, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Greater Pretoria South.

AfriForum is ready to help the Tshwane Metro and can no longer standby and allow the illegal strikers to further disrupt municipal services.