20100413
SABC

North West police say seven people have been arrested and three were injured during clashes involving striking the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) members at Rustenburg.

Police spokesperson Lesego Metsi says clashes erupted when police tried to control protesters. He says Samwu members were throwing stones at moving vehicles, disrupting the flow of traffic and intimidating members of the public. He says they will face charges of public violence.

In many cities across the country, Samwu members could face disciplinary action after trashing streets as they continued their strike action. In the Eastern Cape, thousands of Samwu members have overturned rubbish bins and scattered litter into the streets of Mthatha CBD.

In Nelspruit, the Mbombela Local Municipality has warned that workers who trashed the streets will face disciplinary action. In Kimberley in the Northern Cape, police have used water cannon to disperse over 500 municipal workers. They emptied rubbish bags in front of the Sol Plaatjie municipal offices and set them alight.

The Port Elizabeth city centre was also trashed. In the Western Cape Samwu chair, Douglas Baartman, has called for discipline from union members after verbal clashes between protesters and police at George.

Residents suffer

In Johannesburg, residents are beginning to feel the impact of the strike. Johannesburg residents say they are fed up with municipal workers always striking. The municipal workers union remains resolute. It has announced that the strike action in the sector will continue indefinitely.

This morning, the South African Local Governments' Association withdrew an application intent on halting further action. It says it now wants to pursue further talks. It is hoped a meeting scheduled for tomorrow could pave the way for some solution.

Samwu says labour federation the Congress of South African Trade Unions has been briefed on the matter. It is not ruling out the possibility of asking other unions to join its cause, in solidarity with municipal workers. Samwu is protesting over better working conditions and market related salaries.